What is Strontium?
CAS#: 007440-24-6
Strontium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks,
soil, dust, coal, and oil. Naturally occurring strontium is
not radioactive and is either referred to as stable strontium
or strontium. Strontium in the environment exists in four stable
isotopes, 84Sr (read as strontium eighty-four), 86Sr, 87Sr,
88Sr.
Strontium compounds are used in making ceramics and glass
products, pyrotechnics, paint pigments, fluorescent lights,
and medicines.
Strontium can also exist as several radioactive isotopes;
the most common is 90Sr. 90Sr is formed in nuclear reactors
or during the explosion of nuclear weapons. Radioactive strontium
generates beta particles as it decays. One of the radioactive
properties of strontium is half-life, or the time it takes for
half of the isotope to give off its radiation and change into
another substance. The half-life of 90Sr is 29 years.
Related Resources for Strontium
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CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substance
Prioritization of substances based on a combination of their
frequency, toxicity, and potential for human exposure at
National Priorities List (NPL) sites.
- Interaction Profile
Succintly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health
effects information for mixtures of hazardous substances.
- Minimal Risk Levels (MRL)
The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.
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Public Health Statement
Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One
of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.
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ToxFAQ
Fact sheet that answers the most frequently asked questions
about a contaminant and its health effects.
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Toxicological Profile
Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health
effects information for a hazardous substance.