Strontium-90
City of Brady Water System
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 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2019 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2020 | ND | 1 | 0 | ND |
| 2021 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2022 | ND | 4 | 0 | ND |
| 2023 | ND | 4 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-02-26 | AF00180 | ND |
| 2022-03-08 | AF88009 | ND |
| 2022-06-14 | AG00801 | ND |
| 2022-08-04 | AG07799 | ND |
| 2022-10-25 | AG18266 | ND |
| 2023-01-19 | AG25213 | ND |
| 2023-06-08 | AG43708 | ND |
| 2023-09-18 | AG56542 | ND |
| 2023-11-13 | AG63277 | ND |