The narrator discusses the discovery of Polonium, a radioactive element with the atomic number 84. It was discovered by Marie Curie and her husband Pierre while researching uranium ore. Polonium is a highly radioactive element that can be detected by its alpha rays, which are helium nuclei that can be retained by a thin sheet of paper or a few centimeters of air. The element was named by Marie Curie after her homeland, Poland.
The narrator explains that Polonium is difficult to detect due to its low concentration in uranium ore, but it can be concentrated through a process of heating and depositing it on a nickel plate. The element has several applications, including in antistatic devices, satellites, and nuclear reactors.
However, Polonium is also highly toxic and has been used as a poison. Its compounds are soluble in water and can accumulate in the body, replacing sulfur in amino acids. The narrator mentions the case of Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with Polonium compounds.
The narrator concludes by stating that Polonium is one of the most insidious elements that has harmed the health of everyone who has touched it.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Element number 84 is polonium, a highly radioactive element.
2. The discovery of polonium began with the research of Marie Curie and her husband Pierre.
3. Marie Curie and her husband were trying to detect an unknown substance emitting strong uranium rays in uranium tar mineral.
4. The Curies processed 8 tons of uranium ore to search for the unknown element.
5. The resulting concentrate had a very high level of uranium rays and analytical properties similar to bismuth.
6. Marie Curie named the new element polonium after her homeland, Poland.
7. Polonium is an almost pure alpha emitter with a half-life of 138 days.
8. Alpha rays are helium nuclei that can be easily retained by a thin sheet of paper or a few centimeters of air.
9. Polonium can be detected in small amounts using sensitive detectors with germanium or mica crystals.
10. Irene Curie, Marie Curie's daughter, used polonium in her research and discovered artificial radioactivity.
11. Irene Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1935 for her discovery of artificial radioactivity.
12. Irene Curie's health deteriorated due to contact with radioactive substances, and she died of leukemia in 1956.
13. Frederic Joliot-Curie, Irene Curie's husband, continued her research and built the first French nuclear reactor.
14. Today, 80% of France's electricity is generated using nuclear power plants.
15. Polonium is not obtained from ore but is artificially produced in nuclear reactors.
16. Polonium has been used in antistatic buttons and in the first Soviet satellites for heating equipment.
17. Polonium has military applications, including its use as an initiator in the first atomic bombs.
18. Polonium is highly toxic, with a compound that is 250,000 times more toxic than potassium cyanide.
19. Polonium can accumulate in the body, replacing sulfur in amino acids.
20. Polonium's high radioactivity can damage the DNA of cells, leading to serious health problems.
21. Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium compounds in 2006.