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There is still no offical quantitative estimate of the the amount of Polonium-210 involved in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko and the subsequent "radioactive contamination" scares.

See: "So exactly how much Polonium-210 radiological contamination is there, following the murder of Alexander Litvinenko ?"

The Health Protection Agency now claims that another 2 people have been contaminated with "low levels" of Polonium-210, but still provides no quantiative estimates, for the amount of Polonium or the amount of radioactivity detected.

HPA Update Statement: 3 January 2007, Update on public health issues related to Polonium-210 incident

• There are therefore now 12 samples from people associated with different sites which have shown exposure to low levels of Polonium-210 which are not significant enough to result in any illness in the short term and any increased risk in the long term is likely to be very small

• A further 536 urine samples tested so far by the Agency have found nothing of concern – i.e. no health concerns

The Government has, however, scrapped one of their new anti-smoking campaign TV adverts, which focussed on Polonium-210 naturally concentrated in cigarette smoke, alongside other, more prevalent poisons.

Is the level of contamination greater or less than the tiny amount found in cigarette smoke ?

Presumably, based entirely on the tabloid hysteria and "climate of fear" spin, rather than on any actual increase in the risk from radioactive contamination, the Home Office is also procuring several thousand radiation protection suits for the Police (not for any health workers or the general public) and chemical, biological and radiological or nuclear resistant body bags

The Government tender notifications announcements for these items in the European Journal (where large Government contracts are advertised electronically throughout the European Union) were spotted by UK Daily Pundit, a UK political blog, and the story then made its way into the mainstream media.