The cigarette smoking is a major source of aerosol particles carrying radon progeny and, thus, indoor cigarette smoking is an additional source of internal radiation hazard to the occupants whether smoker or non-smoker. In addition to tar and nicotine, tobacco also contains radioactive Polonium-210 (Po-210) which is very dangerous for the health of smokers. Po-210 in cigarettes comes from the air and phosphate fertilizer often used by tobacco farmers to cultivate tobacco plants. The danger of Po-210 is from emission of alpha particles as it decays into a stable lead (Pb-206).

Alpha activity of radon and its progeny heavily ionize the materials they pass through. CR-39 is a very sensitive plastic that keeps the damage caused by alpha ionization effect for very long times.

Yes. As visible facts I see premature aging of buildings may be one cause of compounding indoor hazard for radon gas. Also for human occupants hazard of exposure is exponentially and premature aging may be facts of sensitive nuclear track detectors caused by alpha ionization effect. 

cigarette smoke  contain po-210  is emission alpha particles as it decays into a stable lead  that is the effect on CR-39 .

Theoretically yes but experimentally it will be impossible to detect as there are large number of compounding factors stastical errors. So it will go undetected however continuous blowing of smoke using thousands of cigarettes may give some idea but it must be ensured that this does not cause optical and physical changes.

Elena, is the question about the effect that smoke will have on intercepting or slowing alpha particles in air before they hit the CR39?  Or is it about the relative contribution of radionuclides in cigarette smoke, which include Po-210 but also Pb-210?

Dear John,

Yes, I take into consideration the first one.

Also the second one with relative contribution of radionuclides converge to the first one, with condition to use nuclear track detector CR -39 for Rn (particles from air or from building materials that release particles into air before hitting the CR - 39)

Best regards,

Dear Elena Zorila,

Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors SSNTDs are insulating materials, which have the capabilities to measure concentration and spatial distribution of isotopes if they emit heavy nuclear particles, either directly or as a result of specific nuclear reactions.  Cigarette smoke includes radionuclides which emitting alpha particles therefore CR-39 NTDs are sensitive to these particles. Therefore must preparing a blank CR-39 detector in order to calculate the background radiation.