Strontium fallout

It has been shown (Vapirev and Hristova, 1991) that the Ba/Sr reactor core ratio can be used for estimation of the upper limit of strontium activity in the fallout immediately after an accident. The Cs/Sr ratio can be used for estimation of the strontium fallout in the late post-accident period. 

The radiation hazard associated with fallout from nuclear weapons testing arises from radioactive isotopes such as these. One of the most dangerous is strontium-90. In the form of strontium carbonate, SrC03, it is incorporated into the bones of animals and human beings, where it remains far a lifetime. 

Half-lives span a very wide range (Table 17.5). Consider strontium-90, for which the half-life is 28 a. This nuclide is present in nuclear fallout, the fine dust that settles from clouds of airborne particles after the explosion of a nuclear bomb, and may also be present in the accidental release of radioactive materials into the air. Because it is chemically very similar to calcium, strontium may accompany that element through the environment and become incorporated into bones once there, it continues to emit radiation for many years. About 10 half-lives (for strontium-90, 280 a) must pass before the activity of a sample has fallen to 1/1000 of its initial value. Iodine-131, which was released in the accidental fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, has a half-life of only 8.05 d, but it accumulates in the thyroid gland. Several cases of thyroid cancer have been linked to iodine-131 exposure from the accident. Plutonium-239 has a half-life of 24 ka (24000 years). Consequently, very long term storage facilities are required for plutonium waste, and land contaminated with plutonium cannot be inhabited again for thousands of years without expensive remediation efforts. 

Pavlotskaya, F. I., Surotkevichiene, R. and Levina, G. P. (1974). State of strontium-90, cesium-137 and cerium-144 in radioactive fallout, page 111 in Nuclear Meteorology, Report No. TT-74-50011, also Report No. CONF-690670, Makhon ko, K. P. and Malakhov, S. G., Eds. (National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia). 

Neel, J.W. and K.H. Larson. 1963. Biological availability of strontium-90 to small native animals in fallout patterns from the Nevada test site. Pages 45-49 in V. Schultz and A.W. Klement, Jr. (eds.). Radioecology. Reinhold, New York. 

Strontium-90, a radioactive strontium isotope with a half-hfe of 29 years, is a dangerous fallout source of radiation from atmospheric nuclear bombs. If a person is exposed to it, it will rapidly accumulate in bone tissue and interfere with the production of new red blood cells... 

Strontium ion, Sr 2, can replace calcium ion in bone. If a product of radioactive fallout, strontium-90, 90sr+2, js placed in bone, however, its radioactive decay will destroy both bone and surrounding tissue. 

Major concern about rapidly increasing levels of radioactive fallout in the environment and in foods developed as a result of the extensive testing of nuclear weapons by the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Nuclear fission generates more than 200 radioisotopes of some 60 different elements. Many of these radioisotopes are harmful to humans because they may be incorporated into body tissues. Several of these radioactive isotopes are absorbed efficiently by the organism because they are related chemically to important nutrients for example, strontium-90 is related to calcium and cesium-137 to potassium. These radioactive elements are produced by the following nuclear reactions, in which the half-life is given in parentheses ... 

Paulings approach proved the more compelling. People began to listen seriously to his estimates. His case was made even stronger when it was found that fallout included strontium 90, a long-lived radioactive species with an unfor-... 

Zhu, S., Ghods, A., Veselsky, J.C., Mima, A., Schelenz, R. Interference of yttrium-91 with the rapid determination of strontium-90 originating from the Chernobyl fallout debris. Radiochim Acta 51, 195-198 (1990)... 

Epidemiological studies of populations in the FSU exposed to fallout from the 1986 nuclear reactor explosion at Chernobyl and releases from the Chelyabinsk-65 complex demonstrate the health effects associated with exposure to radioactive iodine, strontium, and caesium. A study of 2.81 X 10" individuals exposed along the Techa River, downstream from Chelyabinsk-65, revealed that a statistically significant increase in leukemia mortality arose between 5 yr and 20 yr after the initial exposure (37 observed deaths versus 14-23 expected deaths see Cochran et al. (1993) and cited references and comments). There has been a significant increase of thyroid cancers among children in the areas contaminated by fallout from the Chernobyl explosion (Harley, 2001 UNSCEAR, 2000). The initial external exposures from Chernobyl were due to and short-lived isotopes. Subsequently, external exposures to Cs and nd internal... 

Strontium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, soil, dust, coal, and oil. Naturally occurring strontium is not radioactive and is referred to as stable strontium. Stable strontium in the environment exists in four stable isotopes, " Sr (read as strontium 84), Sr, Sr, and Sr. Twelve other unstable isotopes are known to exist. Its radioactive isotopes are Sr and °Sr. Strontium is chemically similar to calcium. It was discovered in 1790. The isotope Sr is a highly radioactive poison, and was present in fallout from atmospheric nuclear explosions and is created in nuclear reactors. Atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons in the 1950s resulted in deposits and contaminations. °Sr has a half-life of 28 years and is a high-energy beta emitter. Its common cationic salts are water soluble it forms chelates with compounds such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid strontium coordination compounds are not common. Powdered metallic strontium may constitute an explosion hazard when exposed to flame. 

Strontium-90 pollutes water and soil at some reprocessing plants. Atmospheric contamination can occur from nuclear fallout. A study in the United States has concluded that high concentrations of strontium in eggshells of some passerine birds may be associated with lower hatching success. 

The name comes from the town of Strontian in Scotland and was given to the element by Thomas Hope (1766-1844). There are many claims for the original discovery of strontium. William Cruikshank, in 1787, and Adair Crawford, in 1790, both examined strontianite (SrC03) and recognized that it had unique properties. Thomas Hope noted an unknown earth in 1791. Martin Klaproth presented a paper on a number of strontium compounds in 1793 and 1794. Richard Kirwan (1733-1812) examined a number of strontium compounds and presented his findings in 1794. It was Davy who isolated strontium metal, in 1808. Strontium does not occur in pure form in nature but is found in small quantities in many places. Some forms of strontium are radioactive, particularly 90Sr, which has been found in nuclear fallout. It can also be used in SNAP devices (Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power) as a power source. The main commercial use of strontium is in the glass of color television picture tubes. 

Calcium phosphate is the component of human bone that provides rigidity. Fallout from a nuclear bomb can contain radioactive strontium-90. These two facts are closely tied together when one considers human health. Explain. 

The threat of nuclear fallout from atomic weapons testing was the impetus for a large number of studies that investigated methods to prevent absorption of radiostrontium, while not adversely affecting the absorption of calcium. Reasonably effective strategies have included alginates, aluminum phosphate, and sulfates. Less effective or less practical strategies have included cold, diet, dietary fiber, flavones, and stable strontium. 

Bennett BG. 1972. Fallout 90Sr in diet and human bone. In International Conference on Strontium Metabolism, ed. Second international conference on strontium metabolism, Glasgow and Strontian, 16-19 August, 1972. TID 4500 59th ed. Health and Safety Laboratory / U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 457-468. 

Bernard SR, Nestor CW. 1980. Studies of age-dependent strontium metabolism with application to fallout data. In International Radiation Protection Society, ed. Radiation protection A systemic approach to safety Proceedings of the 5th congress of the International Radiation Protection Society, Jerusalem,... 

Hardy EP, Rivera J. 1968. Transfer of fallout strontium-90 to cows milk. J Dairy Sci 51(8) 1210-1214. 

Fabian, P., W. F. Libby, and C. E. Palmer (1968). Stratospheric residence time and interhemis-pheric mixing of Strontium 90 from fallout in rain. J. Geophys. Res. 73, 3611-3616. 

Calcium phosphate is the component of human bone that provides rigidity. Fallout from a nuclear bomb can contain radioactive strontium-90. These two facts are closely tied together when one considers human health. Explain. Limestone consists mainly of the mineral calcite, which is calcium carbonate. A very similar deposit called dolostone is composed primarily of the mineral dolomite, an ionic substance that contains carbonate ions and a mixmre of magnesium and calcium ions, (a) Is this a surprising mixture of ions Explain, based on the periodic table, (b) A test for limestone is to apply cold dilute hydrochloric acid, which causes the rapid formation of bubbles. What causes these bubbles ... 

Klusek CS (1987) Strontium-90 in food and bone from fallout. J Environ Qual 16 195-199. 

At the southern end of this family are the metals strontium, barium, and radium. The kingdom s patterns are beginning to be established, and since patterns are the foundation of prediction we are able to predict that these regions will be much more reactive than those to the north. Indeed, they are too aggressive to their environment to be of much use, and nature has found no use for them. Nature s child, humanity, though, has put them to use. Radium is highly radioactive (a nuclear, not a chemical, property), and is used to kill unwanted proliferating cells. A radioactive form of strontium, strontium-90, is a component of nuclear fallout, and if it accumulates in place of calcium in bone it can kill cells that are needed for life and induce leukemia. 

Cesium-137 and strontium-90 from nuclear weapon fallout using tobacco as an example Z. Lebensm. 

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