# What's the Deal With Polonium Spark Plugs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686 "2005-12-30T04:50:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/1 "2005-12-30T04:50:25Z")
I was crawling around the parts place that the guy who’s restoring the Tucker has just bought, and stumbled across a couple of boxes labelled “Firestone Supreme Spark Plugs with Polonium (radioactive).” These things are obviously ancient, and I’m fairly certain that the polonium (WTH is that, anyway?) was probably put in there as a marketing gimmick, but I’m wondering what the logic behind it might of been. And are these things still “hot”? (I know I’m in no danger from the amount of time I spent around them, but the only person who’d want those things is a collector of really ancient car parts, and I’m wondering what would happen if the post office got wind of the contents of the boxes.) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/2 "2005-12-30T04:55:07Z")
[Polonium spark plugs](http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/consumer%20products/sparkplugs.htm). They almost certainly aren’t radioactive to any significant degree anymore, given the short half life. Even if they are, Po 210 is an alpha-emitter. Alpha particles are blocked by the othermost layer of skin; even a sheet of paper can block them. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/3 "2005-12-30T06:49:18Z")
Woah great find there Q.E.D. !!! Gee, I wonder if anyone ever made americium mufflers, actinium manifolds, nobelium rear view mirrors, etc? **Tuckerfan** I’m sure you could easily find a lot of general information about polonium using any search engine. However, I thought it worth mentioning it is named polonium for the country Poland. It was discovered by Marie Curie and she named it for her native country. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/4 "2005-12-30T08:11:36Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > However, I thought it worth mentioning it is named polonium for the country Poland. And just for the heck of it, there’s Francium, Germanium, Americium. And elements named for other geographical areas: Scandium, Californium, Europium, Berkelium. And planets: Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Krypton. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/5 "2005-12-30T11:33:28Z")
Tuckerfan, I am the very proud owner of a complete set of 4 Firestone Polonium spark plugs, in their original boxes and with all the original inserts. I will post a pic of them on the UnaBoard later today for you if you like. They’re sitting in my curio cabinet on the “radioactive” shelf, even though they most likely are not radioactive (don’t even ask what else is on the “radioactive” shelf, you don’t want to know…) **Q.E.D.'s** link is very good and describes what they were intended to do. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/6 "2005-12-30T12:49:29Z")
> [@Una Persson](#): > > (don’t even ask what else is on the “radioactive” shelf, you don’t want to know…) You wouldn’t happen to have a flux capacitor, would you? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/7 "2005-12-30T14:24:58Z")
> [@](#): > > And planets: Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Krypton. Did we forget Mercury? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/8 "2005-12-30T16:08:48Z")
Alright, pictures of my Polonium spark plugs. [http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium1.jpg](http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium1.jpg) Close-up of the electrode. Can you see the 100 or so atoms of Polonium remaining? [http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium2.jpg](http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium2.jpg) Courtesy of Una, Mistress of Stuff Almost No One Else is Interested In… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/9 "2005-12-30T16:14:15Z")
> [@Una Persson](#): > > Alright, pictures of my Polonium spark plugs. Heh. I know that calendar! I just got one a few days ago, too. And FTR, I _do_ want to know what else is on the “radiocative” shelf. I assume it’s more interesting than the guts of a smoke detector or an old watch dial. Maybe parts of a crashed Russian satellite? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/10 "2005-12-30T16:27:13Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Heh. I know that calendar! I just got one a few days ago, too. And FTR, I _do_ want to know what else is on the “radiocative” shelf. I assume it’s more interesting than the guts of a smoke detector or an old watch dial. Maybe parts of a crashed Russian satellite? 😃 Mine came while I was in England. A few variations of uranium minerals (nice yellow ones too), some radium, and a couple of thorium minerals. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/11 "2005-12-30T18:18:30Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > And just for the heck of it, there’s Francium, Germanium, Americium. > > And elements named for other geographical areas: Scandium, Californium, Europium, Berkelium. > > And planets: Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Krypton. > > 😃 Don’t forget Yterbyium and Terbium (something like that), both named for the same town of Yterby in, I think, Sweden. If I weren’t so lazy I would find out the proper spelling and location. What about Germanium? Oh yes, Berkelium. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/12 "2005-12-30T20:36:15Z")
It might be noted that electrodes for GTAW/TIG welding are rarely pure Tungsten, they usually have a small percentage of another metal. Typically this has been Thorium which is mildly radioactive. It’s also a contaminant risk because electrodes have to be ground to a point when used so Ceruim alloy electrodes have become more popular. I wonder just how much Polonium is in those spark plugs? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/13 "2005-12-30T21:10:51Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Did we forget Mercury? Why, yes we did. And I suppose the “Rare Earths”, are collectively named after, uh, Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/14 "2005-12-30T21:19:42Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Why, yes we did. > And I suppose the “Rare Earths”, are collectively named after, uh, Earth. Nope, the Rare Earths are the Lanthanides, named for the element Lanthanum, which in turn is supposedly from the Greek _lanthanein_, to lie hidden. However, four of the Rare Earth elements are named after [a single quarry](http://www.mindat.org/loc-3191.html). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/15 "2005-12-30T21:39:54Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Nope, the Rare Earths are the Lanthanides… Partial credit. In addition to the lanthanides, the rare earth elements also usually include Scandium and Yttrium. On the other hand, promethium (a lanthanide) is not normally considered a rare earth, since it is not found in nature. The term “earth”, by the way, is an obsolete term once used to mean “oxide”–since metals dug of the Earth are often in the form of an oxide. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/16 "2005-12-30T21:46:31Z")
I learned something here. I thought Polonium was the guy who said “Neither a borrower nor a lender be, and to thine own self be true.” That quote led to the joke name of financial advisor Nora Lenderbee. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/17 "2005-12-31T00:54:46Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Partial credit. In addition to the lanthanides, the rare earth elements also usually include Scandium and Yttrium. On the other hand, promethium (a lanthanide) is not normally considered a rare earth, since it is not found in nature. The term “earth”, by the way, is an obsolete term once used to mean “oxide”–since metals dug of the Earth are often in the form of an oxide. Also they are not “rare” at all, as elements go. They can be difficult to refine due to their extreme chemical similarity to one another, which makes them expensive-ish, as it were, but most of them are a lot more common than, say, gold or platinum. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/18 "2005-12-31T01:30:59Z")
I recently came across this page: [Elementymology & Elements Multidict](http://www.vanderkrogt.net/elements/index.html), which has probably more than you want to know about the etymology of the element’s names. As far as astronomical origins, Cerium was named after the asteroid Ceres and Helium was named after the sun. Strontium was named after the town of Strontian, Scotland, as you can see from the picture on the front page of that site. Lutetium is named after Paris, France. I think there may a couple more epotopes[sup]1[/sup] (things named after geographic names) among the elements but I forget what they are off-hand. [sup]1[/sup] A word coined by yours truly, but I which I rarely get to use. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/19 "2005-12-31T01:54:53Z")
> [@Una Persson](#): > > Alright, pictures of my Polonium spark plugs. > > [http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium1.jpg](http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium1.jpg) > > Close-up of the electrode. Can you see the 100 or so atoms of Polonium remaining? > > [http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium2.jpg](http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/Pictures/0512/Polonium2.jpg) > > Courtesy of Una, Mistress of Stuff Almost No One Else is Interested In… The ones I saw were in better shape! 😛 Still pretty nifty that the things have survived so long. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/20 "2005-12-31T10:23:32Z")
from here > **[Ytterby, Parody Song Lyrics of The Beatles, Yesterday](http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/thebeatles1175.shtml)** > > Ytterby. Parody song lyrics for the song Yesterday by The Beatles _to the tune of ‘Yesterday’_ Ytterby What a fascinating place to be Elementary discovery They found a load in Ytterby Yttrium Gadolinium and Terbium Also Holmium and Erbium And Thulium, Ytterbium Y, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb Seven elements, all were found in Ytterby Ytterby Has a very rare geology As Holmes says “elementary” It’s quite a place, is Ytterby [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686.md?page=2)