Polonium-210 is an extremely rare metallic element and artificial radioisotope, discovered by Marie Curie in 1898 and named for Poland. It is one of the most intensely radioactive substances known, decaying rapidly with a short half-life of just 138 days. Its primary decay mode is the emission of powerful alpha particles, making it incredibly toxic if internalized, capable of causing catastrophic cellular damage even in microgram quantities. Due to its intense radioactivity and controlled production, Polonium-210 does not trade on an open market and has no standard consumer price.
Estimated Price Per Gram
The true cost of Polonium-210 is not a stable market price but an internal transfer cost reflecting the extreme expense of production, handling, and safety measures. Pricing is highly variable, depending on the material’s purity, quantity, and intended application. For high-purity, officially produced Polonium-210, the estimated cost has historically ranged from tens of thousands of dollars up to $70,000 per gram.
The material is often measured by its activity, typically in Curies, rather than by mass; one gram of Polonium-210 is equivalent to approximately 4,500 Curies. This high specific activity means a tiny physical amount contains immense radioactivity, driving the cost. Furthermore, the element’s rapid decay means any stated price is time-sensitive, as the material loses half its potency in just over four months.
This high institutional price contrasts sharply with the cost of exempt quantities sold to the public for educational or minor industrial purposes. Small sources, such as those used in static eliminators, contain an extremely tiny amount (often less than 0.1 microcurie), falling below federal licensing thresholds. These devices might sell for less than one hundred dollars, but they represent a minuscule fraction of a gram and are encased in a protective matrix.
Specialized Industrial and Scientific Applications
The high cost of Polonium-210 is justified by its unique property of generating massive heat from a very small mass. A single gram produces about 140 watts of thermal power, making it an extremely compact heat source. This thermal output was historically investigated for use in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) to power equipment in space exploration.
While Plutonium-238 eventually became the standard RTG fuel due to its much longer half-life, Polonium-210 served as a heat source for specialized applications. For example, it kept the internal components of the Soviet Lunokhod lunar rovers warm during cold lunar nights. Beyond heat generation, Polonium-210’s most common commercial application is in static electricity eliminators.
The element’s alpha particles are highly effective at ionizing the surrounding air, creating a conductive path that neutralizes static charge buildup. This property is valuable in industrial settings where static electricity can cause dust attraction, material damage, or sparks. Furthermore, when Polonium-210 is mixed with a light element like beryllium, its alpha emissions initiate a nuclear reaction, creating a stable source of neutrons used for scientific measurements and industrial radiography.
The Difficult Production Process
The element’s prohibitive cost stems from the highly complex and resource-intensive process required for its production. Polonium-210 is created almost entirely through artificial transmutation within specialized nuclear reactors, as its natural occurrence is too dispersed for commercial extraction. Production starts with the stable isotope Bismuth-209, which is placed inside a reactor core and subjected to an intense flux of thermal neutrons.
This neutron bombardment causes Bismuth-209 to capture a neutron, transforming it into the intermediate radioactive isotope Bismuth-210. Bismuth-210 has a short half-life of only five days and quickly decays through beta emission to form Polonium-210. The process is inherently slow and inefficient due to Bismuth-209’s low neutron capture cross-section, meaning only a small fraction of the target material is converted.
The cost is largely derived from the extensive reactor time, often spanning many months, needed to achieve a sufficient yield. Following irradiation, the polonium must be chemically separated and purified from the bulk bismuth target material and other byproducts in highly shielded hot cells. This purification requires specialized radiochemical processing facilities and highly trained personnel, further adding to the expense. Global production is extremely limited, estimated at only about 100 grams annually, which contributes significantly to its scarcity and high unit cost.
Strict Government and Legal Controls
The element’s price and availability are fundamentally dictated by the strict governmental and international regulatory framework surrounding its handling. The extreme toxicity of Polonium-210 necessitates stringent controls to protect public health and safety. While alpha particles cannot penetrate skin externally, the isotope is deadly if inhaled or ingested because the radiation directly damages internal tissues and DNA.
In the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) maintains strict licensing and oversight for any entity that possesses, transports, or uses the isotope, even in small industrial quantities. These regulations require robust safety protocols, specialized containment, and secure disposal plans. Internationally, organizations like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) establish global safety standards and security guidelines to prevent the diversion of high-activity radioactive material.
Due to these controls and the inherent hazard, Polonium-210 is never sold on the open market to individuals in its pure form. Legal sales are exclusively institutional, typically involving a transfer from a government-licensed producer to other licensed entities. The high prices cited are internal accounting figures that cover the cost of maintaining the necessary security, licensing, production, and waste management infrastructure required by law.