2
Table 3. Strontium-90 in milk from various locations, 1956-57. The numbers in parentheses in column 3 give the numberof samples.
Location
New Jersey (Bergen County)
New Jersey (other}
New York City (retail) *
New York State (Perry) *
MohawkValley
North Carolina
North Dakota (powdered) *
Mississippi (State College, powdered }*
Missouri (St. Louis, powdered ) *
Oregon (Portland, powdered} *
Virginia (Rockingham County )
Wisconsin (Columbus, powdered ) *
Av.for all 1957 milk
Date
SU
9-10/57
Rangé 3.0-7.7
Av.
3.5 (14)
Av.
5.5 (4)
10/57
9-10/57
8/57
5.5
Av.
Av.
?/56
10/57
Ay.
4.5
6.6 (4)
5.3 (4)
10.0
6.5
6.5
7.0
3.8 (4)
5.5
6.1
* Estimated from an analysis reported by Health and Safety Laboratory, New York Operations Office of
the AEC (4), extrapolated to late 1957.
drinking water appears to be negligible.
If rain water were consumed, this source
would still only account for about 20
percent of the daily Sr®° intake.
It is concluded that the Sr®° content
in the diet of an average U.S. citizen in
1957 was about 6.5 SU, corresponding
to an equilibrium base level of 1.6 SU,
since the discrimination factor between
diet and base appears to be about 4
(7, 5). If the diet concentration remains
constant for a decade, the equilibrium
bone level of 1.6 SU would be approached by young children. New-born
children would have about half of this
value on account of fetal discrimination,
and adults would reach only 20 to 30
percent of the equilibrium level, because
of the slow rate of exchange of the calcium in bone.
J. Laurence Kup
Rreta SLAKTER
Lamont Geological Observatory,
Columbia University,
Palisades, New York
References and Notes
1. W. R. Eckelmann, J. L. Kulp, A, R. Schulert,
2.
Science 127, 219 (1958).
Lamont Geological Observatory Contribution
No. 302. This work was supported by the
Riology and Medicine Division, U.S. Atomic
Energy Commission. We acknowledge the
valuable suggestions of W. R. Eckelmann, A. R.
Schulert, E. Hodges, and E. Peets. R. Woehr
assisted in the chemical operations,
3. H. L. Volchok et af., Ann, N.Y. Acad. Set.
71, 293 (1957); H. L, Volchok and J, L. Kuip,
4.
Nucleonies 13, No. 8., 49 (1955).
M. Eisenbud, Hearings of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, May 27-June 3, 1957
(GPO, Washington, D.C.), pp. 554, 591,
5. R. J. Bryant, ef al., HP/R 2353, {Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Eng-
6.
7.
land, 1956).
United Nations Yearbook of Food and Agriculturaj Statistics, vol. 9, pt. 1 (1955).
U.S. Dept. Agr, Handbook Ne. 62 (1957).
17 February 1958