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Posted on Mar 15, 2012, 3 p.m.
Strontium is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element that is highly reactive chemically. The metal turns yellow when exposed to air. It occurs naturally in the minerals celestine and strontianite. While natural strontium is stable, the synthetic 90Sr isotope is present in radioactive fallout and has a half-life of 28.90 years.
Element Name: Strontium
Symbol: Sr
Atomic Number: 38
Atomic Weight: 87.62
Element Category: Alkaline earth metal
General Description:
Strontium is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element that is highly reactive chemically. The metal turns yellow when exposed to air. It occurs naturally in the minerals celestine and strontianite. While natural strontium is stable, the synthetic 90Sr isotope is present in radioactive fallout and has a half-life of 28.90 years.
Effects on Human Body:
Strontium, when combined with ranelic acid, forms strontium ranelate. A number of studies suggest that this drug aids bone growth, increases bone density, and lessens vertebral, peripheral, and hip fractures.
Genuis SJ, Bouchard TP. Combination of Micronutrients for Bone (COMB) Study: Bone Density after Micronutrient Intervention. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:354151.
In the United States, salts of strontium such as strontium citrate and strontium carbonate are available as over-the-counter dietary supplements. Large-scale randomized clinical trials have not yet established long-term safety and efficacy.
Radioactive strontium, Strontium-90 (90Sr), can lead to various bone disorders and diseases, including bone cancer.
Read More:
Strontium: Breakthrough Against Osteoporosis
Radioactive Strontium Found in Fish
