How much Polonium-210 is OK to have?

Answer 1

Polonium-210 is used in a variety of relatively innocuous products, mostly for eliminating or controlling the build up of static electricity. If made in or imported into the US, these products are manufactured in compliance with US regulations for "generally licensed devices" and when sold or leased (usually for 12 months) can be used by anyone without further regulation, although most should be returned to the manufacturer for disposal at end of lease or end of useful life. US regulations require that the Polonium be encapsulated and secured to the device in a way that it will not fall off, and cannot easily be intentionally removed.New York State is unusual in that it has a form titled "Registration of Devices Not Requiring Registration," which is for tracking generally licensed devices that would not be tracked in other states. In New York, users of Polonium containing devices must complete and submit this form when they receive such a device and are required to account for it until returned to the manufacturer.There is no limit on how many generally licensed devices one person can have, so there is no limit on how much Polonium one can have.Of course, the above does not apply to unencapsulated Polonium-210, which can only be possessed in the US by a person or company holding a valid radioactive materials license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or one of the state equivalent organizations. The license will state the maximum amount of licensed materials that may be held at any one time, and will be different for different licensees.Specifics differ in other countries, some of which are more stringent than the US and some less.

Answer 2

It is not OK to have polonium.