Strontium tests

Radio-strontium tested as treatment for bone cancer, Sc. News Letter, 40,... 

There have been very few measurements of bone formation rate in primary hyperparathyroidism. Bone turnover determined by the stable strontium test of Fraser et al. (FIO) is reported to be high in cases of parathyroid tumor, but it is not known whether this is true of radioisotopic tracer tests. 

Dentifrices are also vehicles for agents that alleviate dentinal hypersensitivity. Among the materials that have given positive results in clinical tests are potassium nitrate [7757-79-1] (5%) and strontium chloride [10476-85-4] (10%). 

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. 

WEB Strontium-90 is a dangerous byproduct of atomic testing because it mimics the action of calcium in the body. It decays in two beta emissions to give zirconium-90 (Nudear mass = 89.8824 g). 

The determination of magnesium in potable water is very straightforward very few interferences are encountered when using an acetylene-air flame. The determination of calcium is however more complicated many chemical interferences are encountered in the acetylene-air flame and the use of releasing agents such as strontium chloride, lanthanum chloride, or EDTA is necessary. Using the hotter acetylene-nitrous oxide flame the only significant interference arises from the ionisation of calcium, and under these conditions an ionisation buffer such as potassium chloride is added to the test solutions. 

Self-Test C.2B Write the formula of the binary ionic compound formed by (a) lithium and nitrogen (b) strontium and bromine. 

Bones of 19 individuals were analyzed for strontium, rubidium and zinc. The number of samples was limited by the availability of bone after the stable isotope analyses were completed. Strontium was analyzed in order to test for trophic level, and to compare to other results obtained in the region on prehistoric peoples (Katzenberg 1984). Rubidium is not expected in human bone, so its presence acts as a measure of contamination. The use of zinc as a paleodi-etary indicator has been questioned recently (Ezzo 1994) and we were interested to see if there was any relationship between zinc content in food and bone. 

As a result of nuclear weapons testing, mandibles of Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) from California increased from <9 Bq 90Sr/kg ash weight (AW) to >204 Bq/kg AW between 1952 and 1960 (Table 32.14) (Schultz and Longhurst 1963). Age and season affected strontium kinetics in male mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) during the period of antler... 

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. 

The atomic absorption characteristics of technetium have been investigated with a technetium hollow-cathode lamp as a spectral line source. The sensitivity for technetium in aqueous solution is 3.0 /ig/ml in a fuel-rich acetylene-air flame for the unresolved 2614.23-2615.87 A doublet under the optimum operating conditions. Only calcium, strontium, and barium cause severe technetium absorption suppression. Cationic interferences are eliminated by adding aluminum to the test solutions. The atomic absorption spectroscopy can be applied to the determination of technetium in uranium and its alloys and also successfully to the analysis of multicomponent samples. 

Humans are exposed to radiation from the testing and explosion of nuclear weapons and the wastes of nuclear reactors and power plants. Strontium-90 is a fission product from nuclear reactors. It is of particular concern because it has a long half-life of 38 years and becomes concentrated in the food chain, particularly plants-to-milk. The ban on atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons has reduced this hazard. Strontium-90 does have some industrial uses. Most people in developed countries receive minor exposure to radiation through medical procedures such as X-ray and various treatments for some diseases. 

Some compounds, such as strontium chromate and strontium fluoride, are carcinogens and toxic if ingested. Strontium-90 is particularly dangerous because it is a radioactive bone-seeker that replaces the calcium in bone tissue. Radiation poisoning and death may occur in people exposed to excessive doses of Sr-90. Strontium-90, as well as some other radioisotopes that are produced by explosions of nuclear weapons and then transported atmospherically, may be inhaled by plants and animals many miles from the source of the detonation. This and other factors led to the ban on atmospheric testing of nuclear and thermonuclear weapons. 

Strontium and all its compounds impart crimson red color in the flame test. The metal in trace concentrations can be analyzed by various instrumental methods that include flame-and fumace-AA, ICP-AES, ICP/MS, x-ray fluorescence, and neutron activation analysis. 

Elemental composition Sr 59.35%, C 8.14%, 0 32.51%. SrCOs is dissolved in dilute acid and carbon dioxide liberated is identified by the lime-water test (turns lime water milky). Strontium in solution is analyzed by various methods mentioned earlier (See Strontium). 

AAS is used in a number of limit tests for metallic impurities, e.g. magnesium and strontium in calcium acetate palladium in carbenicillin sodium and lead in bismuth subgallate. It is also used to assay metals in a number of other preparations zinc in zinc insulin suspension and tetracosactrin zinc injection copper and iron in ascorbic acid zinc in acetylcysteine lead in bismuthsubcarbonate silver in cisplatinum lead in oxyprenolol aluminium in albumin solution and calcium, magnesium, mercury and zinc in water used for diluting haemodialysis solutions. 

Precipitation of Sparingly Soluble Salts. Pom 2-3 ml of barium chloride, strontium chloride, and calcium chloride solutions into three test tubes. Add a sodium sulphate solution to the first tube, a saturated calcium sulphate solution to the second one, and a saturated strontium sulphate solution to the third one. Write the equations of the chemical reactions in the molecular and net ionic forms. 

The leach rates seen here can be compared to those from a similar test on simulated waste glass of the same composition. The leach rates for cesium and strontium from the fully radioactive Rlass were the same as the leach rates of the simulated glass. Although both tests were done on bulk glass samples, they differed in configuration. The fully radioactive samples were disks cm (height) x 3.5 cm (diameter)], and the... 

The agreement between these two tests indicated no significant change in leach rate with time on this short time scale, for the particular elements studied ( i.e.j barium, strontium, cerium, and rare earths). It was not possible to determine the cesium content in these granules because, for economy reasons, cesium was not included in the calcine production. The results of these measurements are given in Table III. Significant differences in the leach rates of the alkaline earths (barium, strontium) the RE (europium), and cerium are observable. 

Finely powder 50 g. of celestite (or commercial strontium sulfate) and mix it with 20 g. of powdered charcoal. Pack the mixture into an earthenware crucible of as thin walls as possible and heat at the highest temperature of the furnace for about 2 hr. Allow the crucible to cool and test a small portion with dilute hydrochloric or nitric acid. If the residue is chiefly carbon, the reduction is successful if a large amount of insoluble... 

Strontium-90 is a pure beta source. How could a physicist test this statement ... 

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