Interactive radiation portal - radiaverse.com
Half-life: 138 days
Main emission lines: —
Decay chain: Ra-226
Related lines: 47keV, 78keV, 186keV, 242keV, 295keV, 351keV, 609keV, 1120keV, 1760keV, 2200keV
Decay product of uranium thorium or radium. Always present with gamma-emitting decay products. The spectrum is almost identical to that of Radium-226 or natural uranium.
The purified isotope polnium 210 is practically a pure alpha emitter. With a probability of 0.001% it emits a gamma quantum with energy of 803keV, for detection on this line a large activity is needed.
Radium-226 can be found in the form of paint based on it: tumblers, clocks, military hand instruments until the 60s. Such paint often crumbles and is dangerous if ingested. Radium, a byproduct of uranium decay, itself decays into radon-222, a dangerous gas for humans. More than half of a person's lifetime radiation dose comes from radon.
