UNCLASSIFIED
Biology and Medicine
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE - JULY-AUGUST 1957
Predicted Skeletal Concentrations of Strontium 90
At the suggestion of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, the
Division of Biology and Medicine invited the principal participants in
discussions on this subject at the Congressional Hearings held May 27 =
June 6, 1957, to meet in Washington, D. C., on July 29 to try to reduce
the degrees of uncertainty involved in various predictions of future
skeletal concentrations of strontium 90 in humans.
It was generally agreed by the participants that the average
concentration in children of the northeastern United States in the fall
of 1956 was about 0.8 micromicrocuries of strontium 90 per gram of
calcium and that the average concentrations to be expected in young
persons of the same area as a result of strontium 90 actually deposited
on the earth's surface up to the end of 1956 fall between 1.5 and 2
micromicrocuries per gram of caleium.
Three different estimates of the
average skeletal levels of strontium 90 to be expected in young persons
of the northeastern United States in 1975 under various conditions of
testing nuclear weapons, obtained by following three different ap-
proaches, are listed below.
All levels are in micromicrocuries of
strontium 90 per gram of calcium.
Predicted concentrations in 1975
from all strontium 90 produced
before 1957
lL.
2.
3,
1.5 to 3.5
@
to 5
kh
to 10
Predicted concentrations in 1975
if past tests or equivalent are
repeated before 1965
3.5 to 9
5
to 12
10
«to 25
The bases for these estimates are discussed in a summarypaper,
copies of which may be obtained from the Division of Biology and Medicine.
It was the consensus of the group that within one or two years the con-~
fidence with which predictions of future concentrations can be made will
be so greatly increased that it is unprofitable for the present purpose
to extend predictions beyond those given above.
Food Collection Program ~- Latin America
A member of the Division of Biology and Medicine staff visited
Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Brazil to enlist the assistance of persons
UNCLASSIFIED