LYCOS RETRIEVER
Strontium: Strontium-90
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Strontium-90 is a by-product of the fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear reactors, and in nuclear weapons. Strontium-90 is found in waste from nuclear reactors. It can ... contaminate reactor parts and fluids. Large amounts of Sr-90 were produced during atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted in the 1950s and 1960s and dispersed worldwide.
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Strontium is a silvery, metallic element that is found throughout nature, usually in soft soils. It is extremely chemically reactive, and turns yellow when exposed to air. In addition to its uses in the human body, strontium is employed in a variety of commercial purposes, including the production of magnets and optical devices. A radioactive version of the element, strontium-90, is typically produced as a byproduct of nuclear reactions, and is not used as a dietary supplement.
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Strontium-90 has medical applications. A recent advance is to use the isotope for the control of pain. People who have cancer of the bone often experience terrible pain. At one time, the only treatment was medication. But those drugs often had unpleasant side-effects, such as nausea, dizziness, or depression.
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Strontium-90 (90Sr) has a half-life of 28 years. It is a product of nuclear fallout and presents a major health problem. Strontium titanate is an interesting optical material as it has an extremely high refractive index and an optical dispersion greater than that of diamond. It has been used as a gemstone, but it is very soft.
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Strontium-90 dispersed in the environment, like that from atmospheric weapons testing, is almost impossible to avoid. You may ... be exposed to tiny amounts from nuclear power reactors and certain government facilities. The more serious risk to you (though it is unlikely), is that you may unwittingly encounter an industrial instrument containing a Sr-90 radiation source. This is more likely if you work in specific industries:
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Strontium-90, which is radioactive, is man-made. Strontium-90 is a highly dangerous, radioactive component of nuclear fallout produced during atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the 1950s. Repeatedly administering stable natural non-radiocative strontium can even gradually eliminate radioactive strontium from the body. The stable form slowly replaces the radioactive form in bone, and radioactive strontium is excreted in the urine.
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