Strontium-90
Dardanelle Waterworks
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | ND | 3 | 0 | ND |
| 2019 | 0.17 pCi/L | 3 | 1 | ND - 0.50 pCi/L |
| 2020 | 0.75 pCi/L | 4 | 4 | 0.30 pCi/L - 1.40 pCi/L |
| 2021 | 0.11 pCi/L | 1 | 1 | 0.11 pCi/L |
| 2022 | ND | 1 | 0 | ND |
| 2023 | ND | 1 | 0 | ND |
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-19 | R180810006 | ND |
| 2018-05-08 | R181310001 | ND |
| 2018-07-09 | R181930017 | ND |
| 2019-09-10 | R489776005 | ND |
| 2019-09-10 | 489776005 | ND |
| 2019-10-28 | R494985002 | 0.50 pCi/L |
| 2020-01-27 | R502360002 | 0.30 pCi/L |
| 2020-04-27 | GEL51026002 | 0.56 pCi/L |
| 2020-09-08 | GEL521002002 | 0.74 pCi/L |
| 2020-11-23 | GEL528377003 | 1.40 pCi/L |
| 2021-02-01 | GEL533997005 | 0.11 pCi/L |
| 2022-05-04 | GEL578928003 | ND |
| 2023-05-01 | GEL620724001 | ND |