If you ingest polonium-210, about 50% to 90% of the substance will exit the body through feces, according to a fact sheet from Argonne National Laboratory (PDF). What is left will enter the bloodstream. About 45% of polonium ingested gets into the spleen, kidneys and liver, and 10% is deposited in the bone marrow.
Radiation poisoning from polonium-210
looks like the end stage of cancer, Dallas said.
Liver and kidney damage ensue, along with extreme nausea and severe headaches.
Victims often experience vomiting, diarrhea and hair loss. The alpha particles emitted from the decaying substance get absorbed in the body, which is what causes harm.
Death may come in a matter of days, sometimes weeks.
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