Strontium unit

The strontium unit is a unit used to measure the amount of radioactivity from strontium-90, a chemical found in nuclear fallout, in a subject's body; as the human body mistakes the substance for calcium and incorporates it into the skeleton, its presence is very common. One strontium unit is equal to one picocurie from strontium-90 per gram of calcium (37 becquerels per kilogram) in the subject's skeleton.

Additional recommended knowledge

Recognize and detect the effects of electrostatic charges on your balance

How to ensure accurate weighing results every day?

Weighing the right way

The United States National Academy of Sciences holds that the maximum safe measure of strontium-90 in a person is one hundred strontium units (3700 Bq/kg). The average American is estimated to have three to four strontium units.

The strontium unit was formerly known briefly as the sunshine unit, a term promoted by the United States Department of Defense until public ridicule brought about its disuse.

References