“ MEASUREMENT OF STRONTIUM-90
IN GEOPHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
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410457
Remdrks Prepared by Merril Eisenbud
70r [Presentatzon at a Hearingon"The
ENERGY
re 26 US ATOMIC
:
:
Natdre of Radioactive
Fallout and_its.
COMMISSION
Collection DGM-EPR
FD
Box_/% 72 J0B 2A4S
tEfFacts on Man” conducted by The Joint
Com@ittee on Atomic Energy, Washington,
O-G} durtngtheweek of May 27, 1957.
Boletaerea 2 SEAS FACLOCT
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
The properties that meke strontium-90 the most hazardous of
the nuclides formed in the fission process are its long half-life
(26 years) end its chemical similerity to celcium.
Because of its
resenblance to calcium, Sr-90 may be eassimileted by biological
processes.
If strontium is ingested by human beings in food or
weter, it will deposit, like calcium, in the skeleton.
Investigation of the potential hasard from contamination of
soils end the biologicel food cheins by Sr-90 began very early in
the United States atomic energy progrem.
The first studies, as-
societed with the wertime weapons—development program, were theoreticel and were designed to identify the principal parameters which
influence the long-range effects of nuclear detonations.
It was
cleer, from the start, that studies of redioective fellout, end of
the ultimate fate of Sr-90 in perticular, would require the application of knowledge from a wide assortment of the physical and
biological sciences.
The initisel theoretical studies provided a
velueble besis forthe experimental epproach to the proble: that
beceme possible with the progrems of weepons testing thet begen
in 1948 end kcve continued interrittently to the present tire.
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