Polonium-210 is perhaps the deadliest substance on Earth: a millionth of a gram, less than a speck of dust, will kill a human. The world’s yearly output of the metal – about 100 grams – could kill everyone in Britain, with enough left over to kill most of France. The alpha particles it emits are like atomic artillery: they smash into everything around them with lethal force, destroying cells, shredding DNA, extinguishing bodily functions.
