Ask A Scientist Chemistry Archive

Question:  I am a student in York H.S. science class.  I am interested in  
knowing in what way plutonium could poison my body.
Could you tell from looking at a person if he had plutonium poisoning?
 betty a laliberte

Answer:
Plutonium is radioactive, which means it quickly breaks
into high-energy particles and other, lower-energy atoms.
Since plutonium tends to attach to bones chemically and
has a strong tendency to emit high-energy particles
which would then ionize anything nearby,
I'd say that you'd have a problem if you encountered too much of it.
I will give you two places to read about plutonium poisoning;\
(1) The Merck Index (check your local public library,
or ask a doctor friend)
or
(2) look for an article in SCIENCE magazine by Bair and Thompson;
W.J. Bair and R.C. Thompson,
SCIENCE, volume 183, pages 715-722, 1974.
 
Hope this helps you!
 
topper