Polonium in the Sushi: Public Reaction to Intentional Radiation Exposure

Public concern about radiologic incidents can lead to increased demand for healthcare resources that exceeds capacity. To assess the effects of public health communications, British researchers performed a cross-sectional telephone survey of a random sample of 1000 London residents and a qualitative interview of 86 people who potentially were exposed in the intentional polonium-210 radiologic poisoning of the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in a London sushi bar in 2006.

Predictors of perceived risk in cross-sectional survey participants were as follows: believing that the incident was an act of terrorism (odds ratio, 2.7); that it targeted the public (OR, 5.9); and that it could affect people distant from the contaminated area (OR, 3…