Polonium has no biological role.
Levels in humans
Theabundances of the elements in humans.
- Human abundance by weight: (no data) ppb by weight
- Human abundance by atoms: (no data) atoms relative to C = 1000000
How much polonium is in your body? Find out here.
You can use this form to calculate how much polonium your body contains. Enter your weight in either kilograms or pounds and click the "Calculate" button. You must enter a number, not text!Elements for which there are no data will always give a value of zero for the weight, no matter what you put in the weight box.
Hazards and Risks
Hazards and risks associated with polonium:
Polonium does not occur to any significant extent in the biosphere and so normally never presents a risk. Polonium is studied in a few nuclear research laboratories where its high radioactivity as an α-emitter requires special handling techniques and precautions.
References
- J.E. Huheey, E.A. Keiter, and R.L. Keiter inInorganic Chemistry : Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4th edition, HarperCollins, New York, USA, 1993.
- S. Budavari (Ed.) inThe Merck Index, 11th ed., Merck, USA, 1989.
- N.N. Greenwood and A. Earnshaw inChemistry of the Elements, 2nd edition, Butterworth, UK, 1997.