Abstract |
All ionizing radiations can cause the same types of biological effects, the probability of any given effect depending on the conditions of exposure. Consequently, the hazards of irradiation from radioactive strontium and cesium, as from any internally deposited radionuclide, depend on the distribution of the elements in the body, their retention, and their radioactive decay. These properties, in turn, depend on the chemical behavior of strontium and cesium in the forms in which they are encountered and on the physical characteristics of their several isotopes. |