Polonium tightly controlled in Russia-atomic chief
01 Dec 2006 16:40:13 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds statement from Atomic Energy of Canada) MOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Polonium 210, a highly toxic radioactive substance found in the body of an ex-KGB spy who died in London last week, cannot be obtained illegally in Russia, its nuclear energy chief was quoted as saying on Friday. Traces of radiation have been found in several passenger aircraft and at several places in London, some of which Alexander Litvinenko -- a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- visited before his death. In his last note, made public by friends after his death, Litvinenko said Putin was behind his murder. The Kremlin and Russian secret services have denied any connection with his death. The head of Russia's state atomic energy agency Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, told the government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta that Russia produces only 8 grams of polonium 210 a month. "All this amount goes to U.S. companies through a single authorised supplier, Tekhsnabexport company," the newspaper quoted Kiriyenko as saying. Kiriyenko refused to say how polonium was produced, but said nuclear reactors like the Russian RMBK or the Canadian CANDU were needed to make it. "In Russia all nuclear reactors, including those used for research, are government property tightly controlled by federal authorities," he said. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), the company that makes CANDU reactors, said Kiriyenko's statement was wrong as the plants could not produce polonium. "CANDU reactors cannot be used to generate polonium. It's a totally false statement to suggest that," said Dale Coffin, director of corporate communications at AECL. He said the reactors burned natural uranium while polonium 210 was produced using bismuth as a fuel source. "We cannot use bismuth in our fuel channels," Coffin said. (Additional reporting by David Clarke in London)
