Re: Sr-90 and bone marrow

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 22:14 23.08.2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Aug. 23
>
>
>	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.

While I cannot answer on the spot your question about the distribution of
Sr-90 in the bone, I would like to draw your attention to the short-lived
daughter of Sr-90, namely Y-90 with a half-life of 64 hours and a high beta
energy of 2.3 MeV maximum. I suppose that the distribution of Sr-90/Y-90 in
the bone must have been considered in the dose factors published by ICRP.

Regards,

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at


Please note my new telephone number at my office!

Office:
Ministerialrat Dr. Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management
Radiation Protection Department (BMLFUW I/8 U)
Radetzkystr. 2
A-1031 Vienna
AUSTRIA

phone: -43-1-71100-4458
fax: -43-1-7122331

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