On Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:30:49 +0000, Steve Walker wrote:

Alpha emitters are very safe, even safe to handle - as you say, alpha
particles are stopped incredibly easily. However, they are NOT safe if
swallowed, inhaled or they enter the body through a cut, as there they
can remain for lengthy periods, irradiating a small area - alpha is
actually highly damaging.

Agreed, the fact they are big and heavy and get absorbed so easyly
may well make ingesting an alpha emmiter far more dangerous than a
beta or gamma emitter. Simply because those forms of ionising
radiation get do not get absorbed so easyly. If it doesn't interact,
it doesn't do any damage...

--
Cheers
Dave.