from russia with lunch - the litvinienko polonium incident

FROM ЯUSSIA WITH LUNCH !

The death of Alexander Litvinenko !

Cumbria Media Emergency Forum !

Dr Nigel Calvert

FROM ЯUSSIA WITH LUNCH !

The death of Alexander Litvinenko !

Cumbria Media Emergency Forum !

Dr Nigel Calvert

Topics

• Background

• Alexander Litvinenko

• What happened?

• Biological effects of Polonium

• The Health Protection Agency’s involvement

Topics

• Background

• Alexander Litvinenko

• What happened?

• Biological effects of Polonium

• The Health Protection Agency’s involvement

Assassination at St. Helena Sten Forshufvud & Ben WeiderMitchell Press Ltd, 1987

ISBN: 0-88836-028-2

If surviving assassination attempts were an

Olympic event, I would win the gold medal

From van Keuren RT. Chemical and Biological Warfare, An Investigative Guide. Washington, DC: Office of Enforcement, Strategic Investigations Division, US Customs Service; October 1990: 89

From van Keuren RT. Chemical and Biological Warfare, An Investigative Guide. Washington, DC: Office of Enforcement, Strategic Investigations Division, US Customs Service; October 1990: 89

Topics

• Background

• Alexander Litvinenko

• What happened?

• Biological effects of Polonium

• The Health Protection Agency’s involvement

Alexander Litvinenko

‘It is unfortunate that the murder coincided with the

release of a new Bond film in Britain. The result has been that

the British media has been tempted to treat the

assassination of a British citizen as just an extension of the Bond

series’ !

Gideon Rachman Financial Times 27th November 2006

The Sun 21st November 2006

Anna PolitkovskayaRussian anti-Putin journalist

Assassinated in 2006

Mario Scaramella

Italian Academic and Friend of Litvinenko

Boris Berezovsky

Close friend and supporter of Litvinenko

Dmitry Kovtun

Left a trail of Polonium across Europe

Andrei Lugovoy

Former KGB Bodyguard Linked to Polonium finds

Topics

• Background

• Alexander Litvinenko

• What happened?

• Biological effects of Polonium

• The Health Protection Agency’s involvement

Topics

• Background

• Alexander Litvinenko

• What happened?

• Biological effects of Polonium

• The Health Protection Agency’s involvement

half a gram will reach temp of 500 degrees celsius !due to large amount of alpha particles

Antoine Henri Becquerel Louis Harold Gray Rolf Maximilian Sievert

Measuring Radioactivity and Radiation

Radioactivity •count of disintegrations •measured in becquerels (Bq)

Absorbed dose •amount of energy absorbed by tissues •measured in gray (1 Gy = 1 joule/kg of tissue)

Equivalent Dose •Alpha more damaging than beta, gamma or X-raya •measured in sieverts (Sv).

Harrison J et al. Polonium-210 as a poison. J. Radiol. Prot. 27 (2007) 17–40

1. 0.1 – 0.3 GBq absorbed to blood of an adult male is likely to be fatal within 1 month

2. This corresponds to ingestion of 1 – 3 GBq assuming 10% absorption to blood.

3. Bone Marrow Damage • ↓ White Cell count

4. Other Organ Damage • kidneys • liver • GI tract

5. Even if the bone marrow could be rescued, damage to other organs can be expected to prove fatal.

210Po as a Poison

Harrison J et al. Polonium-210 as a poison.J. Radiol. Prot. 27 (2007) 17–40

BMJ 2004; 328: 568–72

Topics

• Background

• Alexander Litvinenko

• What happened?

• Biological effects of Polonium

• The Health Protection Agency’s involvement

• The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is an independent body that protects the health and well-being of the population. The Agency plays a critical role in protecting people from infectious diseases and in preventing harm when hazards involving chemicals, poisons or radiation occur.

• We also prepare for new and emerging threats, such as a bio-terrorist attack or virulent new strain of disease.

• The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is an independent body that protects the health and well-being of the population. The Agency plays a critical role in protecting people from infectious diseases and in preventing harm when hazards involving chemicals, poisons or radiation occur.

• We also prepare for new and emerging threats, such as a bio-terrorist attack or virulent new strain of disease.

HPA Roles in The Incident

• Radiation Protection Division • Liaison with other

agencies & Government • Specialist advice

• Local and Regional Services Division • Public Advice • Help lines for people

exposed to 210Po

Increased Cancer Risk

Average Lifetime Risk ≈ 33% Dose of 1 mSV ≡ ↑ 0.005%

Category24 Hr Urine

(mBq/day)

Dose Equivalent

(mSv)

Number

Increase in lifetime Cancer

Risk

1 < 30 601 n/a

2 > 30 < 1 85 < 0.005%

3a 1 - < 6 35 < 0.03%

3b ≥ 6 17 ≥ 0.03%

Results of 24 hour urine 210Po measurement in Members of the Public

Potential Increase in Cancer Risk

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

GeneralPopulation

6 mSv ? Higherexposure

Exposure Group

Life

time

Ris

k

?

Topics

• Background

• Alexander Litvinenko

• What happened?

• Biological effects of Polonium

• The Health Protection Agency’s involvement

Blowing Up Russia. Alexander Litvinenko & Yuri Felshtinsky. Gibson Square Books Ltd (19 Jan 2007) ISBN 1903933951 A Russian Diary. Anna Politkovskaya. Harvill Secker (20 Mar 2007) ISBN 1846551021 Polonium-210 as a Poison. Harrison J, Leggett R, Lloyd D, Phipps A, Scott B. J. Radiol. Prot. 27 (2007) 17–40 Health Protection Matters. Issue Seven. Spring 2007. www.hpa.org.uk Accessed 21 April 2007

Further Reading