Sr-90 and bone marrow

[Steven Dapra <sjd@swcp.com>]

Aug. 23

	A few weeks ago there was a lot of traffic on RADSAFE concerning a claim
that Sr-90 goes to the bone and irradiates the immune system thereby
damaging it.  (I do not want to re-start that thread.)  Instead, I have a
question about where the Sr-90 is deposited, and its effect(s) when it gets
to the bone.

	Is Sr-90 deposited on the surface of the bone, is it deposited within the
bone, or is it deposited on the inner surface of the bone where it can
directly irradiate the bone marrow?

	Regardless of where it is deposited in or on the bone, is Sr-90's
radiation strong enough to damage the bone marrow, or interfere with the
production of blood, in particular leukocytes?  If the radiation isn't
strong enough to damage or otherwise interfere with leukocytes, which are
part of the immune system, it would seem that the whole argument falls down
flat.

Steven Dapra
sjd@swcp.com




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