strontium 90

American

noun

Chemistry.

a harmful radioactive isotope of strontium, produced in certain nuclear reactions and present in their fallout.

strontium 90 Scientific

A radioactive isotope of strontium having a mass number of 90 and a half-life of 28 years. Strontium 90 is the most dangerous component of the fallout from nuclear explosions because it is easily absorbed by the body. It is also used in medicine to treat cancer.

Etymology

Origin of strontium 90

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The groundwater contains radioactive strontium 90, which can cause bone cancer and leukemia.

From Washington Times

Critics say the desalinated water will contain trace amounts of radioactive particles like strontium 90 that they and their children will consume for their lifetimes.

From New York Times

The legal limit for releasing strontium 90 into the ocean is 30 becquerels per liter.

From Scientific American

The legal limit for releasing strontium 90, which has a half life of around 29 years, into the sea is 30 becquerels per liter.

From Scientific American

"Our biggest concern right now is if some of the other isotopes such as strontium 90 which tend to be more mobile, get through these sediments in the ground water," said Dr Buesseler.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023