UNC LASSIFIED ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINATION OF NORMAL STRONTI(U IN BONE 1. Ash the bone sample in a nickel crucible at 900°C. 2e Grind in a mortar to a fine powder. 3. Weigh out 5 grams into a 250 ml centrifuge bottle. uu. Add Lh ml of water and then slowly add 15h ml of 90% nitric acid to bring concentration to 75% HNO, » 5S. Add 20 mg of Ba** carrier (as BaCl,) in 2 mi of solution. 6. Stir rapidly for thirty minutes (mechanically). 7. Centrifuge for ten minutes at about 2000 r.p.m. 8. Decant and repeat steps lh thru 7 at 1/2 the original volume. 9. Decant as much cf the liquid as possible and transfer to a 100 ml beaker with water. 10. Evaporate to dryness and pick up with 10 ml of concentrated nitric acid. ll. Add 5 ml of 1000 ppm Li solution, dilute to 100 ml and run by flame photometry. There is no agreement in the Literature as to the strortium content of the normal human being. In part this is due to the variability of available strontium in different sections of the country or the world, and in part the disagreement is due to the methods of analySis used. To resolve the differences for our own laboratory studies, a test was made of two methods of analysis. Time did not permit a compiete program of sampling and analysis of bones from several individuals in several localities to be made. The data of Hodges, et al (UCLA=-li7) showed a range of 0.015 to 0.040% of strontium in humar: bone. Preliminary tests here showed the percentape to be in this range, which eliminated gravimetric procedures. Therefore. flame photometry was selected as the analytical methoc. wei? 6 3 UNC LASSIFIED