Strontium-90
Oxnard Water Department
Strontium is a metal that accumulates in the bones. Radioactive strontium-90 can cause bone cancer and leukemia, and any form of strontium at high doses can harm bone health. Read More.
Strontium-90 has been emitted widely by nuclear power plants, weapons facilities, waste sites and nuclear research facilities. Strontium-90 is structurally similar to calcium and is thus taken up into bones. The chief health concerns from strontium-90 exposure are bone cancer and leukemia.
No federal drinking water standards for strontium-90 exist. California set a legal maximum of 8 picocuries of strontium-90 radioactivity per liter of water. California also has a public health goal of no more than 0.35 picocuries of strontium-90 per liter of drinking water. According to studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, strontium-90 also is a concern for water quality in private wells.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2015 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2016 | 0.68 pCi/L | 2 | 2 | 0.31 pCi/L - 1.05 pCi/L |
| 2017 | 0.07 pCi/L | 4 | 3 | ND - 0.21 pCi/L |
| 2018 | ND | 4 | 0 | ND |
| 2019 | ND | 9 | 0 | ND |
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.35 pCi/L
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.35 pCi/L for strontium-90 was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
All test results
| Date | Lab ID | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-03-03 | 5867-020-0000 | 0.31 pCi/L |
| 2016-03-03 | 5867-039-0907 | 1.05 pCi/L |
| 2017-08-09 | 5867-060-0850 | ND |
| 2017-08-09 | 5867-057-1020 | 0.03 pCi/L |
| 2017-08-16 | 5867-063-1005 | 0.03 pCi/L |
| 2017-08-16 | 5867-059-1055 | 0.21 pCi/L |
| 2018-11-14 | 0010-057-1020 | ND |
| 2018-11-14 | 0010-060-0934 | ND |
| 2018-11-21 | 0010-053-0944 | ND |
| 2018-11-28 | 0010-053-1056 | ND |
| 2019-04-17 | 0010-041-1040 | ND |
| 2019-04-17 | 0010-020-0810 | ND |
| 2019-04-17 | 0010-018-0810 | ND |
| 2019-04-24 | 0010-039-1134 | ND |
| 2019-05-15 | 0010-040-1130 | ND |
| 2019-06-19 | 0010-035-1028 | ND |
| 2019-06-26 | 0010-038-1002 | ND |
| 2019-07-17 | 0010-038-1247 | ND |
| 2019-11-20 | 0010-057-1124 | ND |