[ RadSafe ] Sr-90 in milk (re-named)

Sat Jun 4 09:18:24 CDT 2011

Thanks Edmond for this comment: Could you please tell me the nuclear reactions which would result in the acceptable Sr-90-"free" result? I am still eager to learn in spite of my age.

I do not know, what is going on in "the world", but in Austria there has come a new generation of radiochemists, who are not only well trained, but also have the possibility of doing good radiochemical work. I envy them, because 20 or 30 years ago the world wide trend was reversed to do gamma-spectrometry, though the radionuclides of concern were beta emitters and especially in the case of natural radioactivity alpha emitters. But it was so convenient to put a (possible unprocessed) sample on top of a germanium detector, press a button and let the rest be done by the MCA and the computer. 

The concerns in radiation protection based on gamma-emitting radionuclides are at least in environmental protection almost obsolete.
 The radiological concern is now on beta and even  more alpha emitters. But as described above, they are much more difficult to be measured. "Authorities" want for their reports high numbers of analysis - so still useless gamma-measurements are produced by the hundreds or thousands.

500 years ago I might have been burnt at the stake as being heretic - thanks to the progress of the human kind!!

Franz

---- Edmond Baratta <edmond0033 at comcast.net> schrieb:
> Franz:
> 
> Strontium-89 is also reactor produced.  Depending upon the purity of 
> Yttrium, some Strontium-90 can be produced.  It is used for bone therapy in 
> cancer patients.  It has been produced by both the United Kingdom and 
> Russia.  Several radiopharmaceutical firms obtain it from them and sell it 
> in the USA.  I have never seen strontium-89 in fission products without 
> Strontium-90.  Maybe they are analyzing for total radio-strontium and 
> claiming Strontium-89.
> 
> Ed Baratta
> 
> edmond0033 at comcast.net
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Busby, Chris
> Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2011 1:19 AM
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List ; 
> The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
> Cc: Glenn R. Marshall
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Sr-90 in milk (re-named)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu on behalf of 
> franz.schoenhofer at chello.at
> Sent: Fri 6/3/2011 9:02 PM
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
> Cc: Glenn R. Marshall
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Sr-90 in milk (re-named)
> 
> Sorry Glenn, you are wrong.
> 
> Sr-89 is a fission product, it is also a pure beta emitter like Sr-90. So it 
> causes problems when determining Sr-90 in fresh fission products and 
> especially in the first days after the Chernobyl accident it caused 
> problems, because many person doing measurements did not know it or simply 
> neglected it, producing much to high valures for Sr-90. Measurement is not 
> easy, in most traditional methods radiochemical separation is necessary (it 
> is anyway, but not to this extent like in the presence of Sr-89). Also short 
> lived yttrium isotopes pose a problem and I know of several cases where 
> wrong results for Sr-90 were caused because of the wrong assumption that 
> this other Y-isotope was Y-90 in equilibrium with Sr-90.
> 
> All these caveats might  also be applicable to the messages about Sr-90 and 
> Sr-89 from Japan. One would have to know the details of the methods used.
> 
> Sr-89 is used for what you described, but it is produced by some accelerator 
> reaction - you would not be able to separate Sr-89 from Sr-90 produced by 
> nuclear fission - or would you?
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Franz
> 
> ---- "Glenn R. Marshall" <GRMarshall at philotechnics.com> schrieb:
> > Sr-89 is predominantly a medical radionuclide, whereas Sr-90 predominantly 
> > exists as a fission product.  I believe its primary use is treatment of 
> > bone cancer.
> >
> > With increased testing for every radionuclide on the chart, it's not 
> > surprising traces of oddball species pop up.
> >
> > Glenn
> > (865) 257-2760
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu 
> > [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Edmond Baratta
> > Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 1:28 PM
> > To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList; 
> > The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Sr-90 in milk (re-named)
> >
> > How can you have Sr-89, without Sr-90??
> >
> > Ed Baratta
> > edmond0033 at comcast.net
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Steven Dapra
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 8:07 PM
> > To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
> > Subject: [ RadSafe ] Sr-90 in milk (re-named)
> >
> > June 1
> >
> >          A trace.  Well, my goodness, it sounds like time to panic.  (You 
> > go first, Chris, and show us how it's done.)
> >
> > Steven Dapra
> >
> >
> > At 09:41 AM 6/1/2011, you wrote:
> > >May 31
> > >
> > >          Has any Sr-90 been measured in milk in Hawaii?
> > >
> > >Steven Dapra
> > >
> > >No Sr-90, but a trace of Sr-89
> > >
> > >http://www.epa.gov/japan2011/docs/rert/RadNet-Sr-Milk-Public-Release-5-
> > >24-2011.pdf
> > >
> > >That was from early April.  Someday we may get more data.
> > >
> > >Tony Harrison, MSPH
> > >Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Laboratory
> > >Services Division
> > >303-692-3046
> >
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> --
> Franz Schoenhofer, PhD, MinRat
> Habicherg. 31/7
> A-1160 Vienna
> Austria
> mobile: ++43 699 1706 1227
> 
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> 
> Sr89 is produced in nuclear explosions
> 
> C
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--
Franz Schoenhofer, PhD, MinRat
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
mobile: ++43 699 1706 1227