Strontium-90
East Lyme Water & Sewer Commission
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 | 1 | 0 | ND |
| 2015 | ND | 1 | 0 | ND |
| 2016 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2017 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2018 | ND | 1 | 0 | ND |
| 2019 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-10-27 | 95927RA | ND |
| 2015-10-15 | 101628RA | ND |
| 2018-05-22 | 117863GE | ND |