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Sr-90, or Strontium 90, is a radioactive isotope. The 90 comes from the fact that this isotope has 52 neutrons and 38 protons. As with anything radioactive, there are health concerns.

Sr-90 in a contained environment is generally not harmful as the gamma photon radiation is extremely weak. The health concern rises significantly when Sr-90 is in some way allowed to enter the body, either by inhalation or by eating/drinking Sr-90 contaminated food/drinks.

Once inside the body, Sr-90 most closely mimics calcium in its biochemical behavior. This is to say any of the Sr-90 that is not excreted naturally by the body will most likely be deposited into bones and bone marrow. Being locked away in this fashion will allow it to cause bone cancer, cancer of nearby tissues and leukemia.

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