I'm not sure if the news has jumped over the pond about the radiation found on at least three British Airways planes, all part of murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. I gather those with the radioactive material used to poison Litvinenko flew on some BA jets, leaving traces of the material on those jets.

It doesn't look to be a public health worry. But you have to wonder if the radiation can be found on the jets, isn't that something the security scans protecting us at the airports also should have picked up?

Perhaps the new plastic bag requirements helped shield the radiation from being detected. It would be funny if it didn't make a mockery of the screening process.

More on the story from This Is London here. Over at BA, they sent me (and other customers) and email about it:

As a valued customer I am writing to give you the latest information regarding the forensic examination of three of our Boeing 767 aircraft.

You may be aware that these three aircraft were identified by the UK government as part of the police investigation into the death of Alexander Litvinenko.

Two of the three aircraft have been forensically tested at London Heathrow. The third aircraft will return to London Heathrow today where it will undergo testing over the weekend.

The initial results of the forensic tests on the two aircraft at London Heathrow showed very low traces of a radioactive substance onboard. Since then the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that one of these aircraft does not pose a risk to the health of the people in it and that it does not believe overall that passengers on this aircraft were at risk over the past month. Monitoring is continuing on the second aircraft.

We have been advised that this investigation is confined solely to these three B767 aircraft and no other British Airways aircraft are involved.

We hope to return the two aircraft currently at London Heathrow to service as soon as possible.

Details of the flights operated by the three aircraft at the centre of the investigation are available on our website, http://www.ba.com. We have also identified on the website the 72 flights that have been given the all clear.

If you were on one of these flights and wish to receive further advice you are advised to telephone NHS Direct on 0845 4647. Only customers who have travelled on the remaining specified flights should telephone NHS Direct. Non-UK customers are advised to contact their doctor.

The British Airways helpline remains open on 0845 6040171 and + 44 (0) 191 211 3690 for international calls.

We wish to reassure you our operation is planned to continue to run normally and any further news of the government investigation will be posted on our website.

Heading over to BA, I find this page that doesn't really explain the situation as to how the radiation got on the flights. It assumes I'm all up to speed about this. But it does list the flights made by one plane identified as having radiation on it (not that I was that worried, but still, phew, I'm clear). That also shows flights that a second plane made that is being examined.

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