Research has shown that tobacco can absorb Po210 . If fertilizer sourced polonium in food is distributed around the body in the same way, then much of the food we eat causes internal ionizing alpha radiation. It is not clear how much radioactive content fertilizer contributes to food and how much is naturally present.
Radon gas occurs naturally in most places on the planet.
The needless additional radiation delivered via fertilizer can be reduced through the use of alternative phosphate sources or organic farming techniques. Please check back soon for more information as this webpage is still under construction. Any polonium-210 that might be present in the phosphate concentrate could pose a significant health threat. A very small amount of polonium-210 can be very dangerous, giving off 5,000 times more alpha radiation than the same amount of radium. The three main types of radiation, alpha, beta, and gamma have different penetrating abilities.