LONDON - Two London police officers have tested positive for low traces of the polonium radiation that apparently killed former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, but both are well, the police said Sunday.
The officers were among 26 Metropolitan Police officers "closely involved" in the inquiry into the poisoning of Litvinenko who died on November 23, the force said in a statement.
"The samples of all 26 officers have been tested and all are within the safe exposure limits as stated by the Health and Safety Commission," the statement said.
"Whilst 24 of the samples showed no evidence at all of radiation exposure, two samples showed relatively small traces of polonium. It should be stressed the amounts of polonium are below defined safety limits," it said.
"Both officers are well," but the police and health authorities are monitoring them closely and offering them all the support they need, the statement said.
Public health authorities said Saturday that tests on Litvinenko's Italian contact Mario Scaramella found he had lower than predicted levels of radioactive material in his body.
The Health Protection Agency said extensive tests showed that Scaramella had "very low levels" of polonium 210 in his body even though it had initially believed that he could have "very high levels" of the substance in his urine.
The academic, who met Litvinenko at a central London sushi bar on November 1 shortly before the former KGB man fell ill, was discharged from hospital on Wednesday.
He claimed he wanted to warn him they were both on an alleged Russian secret service "hitlist".
The HPA, which reiterated that the risk to the general public of exposure to polonium 210 is likely to be very low, said 225 urine samples tested so far had found nothing of concern.
Eight samples, including those from seven bar staff at a central London hotel where Litvinenko met three Russian contacts on November 1, have shown exposure to polonium 210.
But the HPA said the levels are not significant enough to result in any short-term illness. Any increased risk in the long-term is likely to be very small, they added.
An adult relative of Litvinenko -- reported to be his wife -- also tested positive for low-level radiation.

12/10/2006 00:42 GMT