Strontium-90
Goleta Water District
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 | ND | 4 | 0 | ND |
| 2015 | ND | 6 | 0 | ND |
| 2016 | ND | 9 | 0 | ND |
| 2017 | ND | 6 | 0 | ND |
| 2018 | ND | 7 | 0 | ND |
| 2019 | ND | 10 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-03-13 | 0010-018-1220 | ND |
| 2014-12-04 | 0010-013-1133 | ND |
| 2014-12-09 | 0010-034-1200 | ND |
| 2014-12-29 | 0010-035-1212 | ND |
| 2015-03-26 | 0010-031-0955 | ND |
| 2015-04-15 | 0010-026-1128 | ND |
| 2015-08-13 | 0010-013-1250 | ND |
| 2015-10-01 | 0010-034-0920 | ND |
| 2015-10-28 | 0010-032-1020 | ND |
| 2015-11-23 | 0010-035-1100 | ND |
| 2016-03-30 | 0010-018-0915 | ND |
| 2016-06-14 | 0010-026-1040 | ND |
| 2016-07-19 | 0010-038-1100 | ND |
| 2016-08-02 | 0010-042-1030 | ND |
| 2016-08-10 | 0010-041-1100 | ND |
| 2016-08-16 | 0010-040-1030 | ND |
| 2016-10-05 | 0010-033-1045 | ND |
| 2016-10-10 | 0010-045-1110 | ND |
| 2016-11-16 | 0010-033-1045 | ND |
| 2017-04-12 | 0010-013-1200 | ND |
| 2017-05-04 | 0010-033-1100 | ND |
| 2017-05-23 | 0010-018-1100 | ND |
| 2017-05-24 | 0010-045-1115 | ND |
| 2017-08-03 | 0010-042-1100 | ND |
| 2017-11-07 | 0010-038-1030 | ND |
| 2018-03-06 | 0010-032-1045 | ND |
| 2018-03-07 | 0010-041-1030 | ND |
| 2018-03-15 | 0010-031-1030 | ND |
| 2018-03-20 | 0010-035-1030 | ND |
| 2018-03-26 | 0010-001-1030 | ND |
| 2018-05-14 | 0010-033-1045 | ND |
| 2018-08-15 | 0010-013-1100 | ND |
| 2019-03-21 | 2542-042-1105 | ND |
| 2019-04-25 | 0010-041-1030 | ND |
| 2019-05-09 | 0010-040-1030 | ND |
| 2019-05-14 | 0010-058-1030 | ND |
| 2019-05-21 | 0010-058-1030 | ND |
| 2019-08-27 | 0010-018-1020 | ND |
| 2019-09-17 | 0010-033-1015 | ND |
| 2019-10-10 | 0010-013-1125 | ND |
| 2019-11-13 | 0010-026-1123 | ND |
| 2019-11-14 | 0010-059-1015 | ND |