Abstract
THE average daily dietary intake of strontium-90 in Britain during 1958 has been assessed as about 6 µµc. per gm. calcium1. It is well known that discrimination against strontium relative to calcium takes place in absorption from, the gut and excretion by the kidney2. The combined effect of these discriminatory processes would lead to an expected concentration of strontium-90 relative to calcium in human plasma of about one-quarter that in the diet, that is, about 1.5 µµc. strontium per gm. calcium in 1958. No measurements of the strontium-90 content of human plasma have yet been reported. On the basis of the above estimation, at least 20 litres would be required for a measurable activity to be obtained. Thus the same individual must be bled on a large number of occasions over a long period of time or many individuals must be bled to provide a bulked specimen.
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References
Agricultural Res. Council Radiobiological Lab. ARCRL 1 (1959).
Bailey, N. T. J., Bryant, F. J., and Loutit, J. F., Atomic Energy Authority Report AERE-R3299 (1960).
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HARRISON, G., SUTTON, A. & MAYCOCK, W. Strontium-90 in Human Plasma. Nature 189, 324 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/189324a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/189324a0
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