Strontium-90 Plasma-levels and Excretions in Young Adults

Abstract

WITH the future of atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons uncertain, it remains of interest to determine in man the metabolism of strontium-90 derived from past tests. Considerable information on strontium-90 retention has been obtained from analysis of human bones^1,2 and teeth³, from work with animals, from the metabolism of stable strontium^4,5, and from the use in man of strontium-85^6,7. This communication reports some implications of a study of strontium-90 metabolism conducted on ten young adult volunteers who received a constant diet containing approximately 1.1 g of calcium per day on a metabolic ward for 3 periods of 6 days each. The intake of strontium-90 during the study averaged 13.4 µµc./day, most of it ingested with milk. Prior to the study, less milk was probably consumed, and less strontium-90 ingested.