Analysis of strontium metabolism in humans on the basis of the Techa river data

Age and sex features of strontium metabolism have been analyzed based on studies of the population residing on the banks of the Techa river which was contaminated by fission products during the years 1949–1956. Measurements of ⁹⁰Sr body burden have been performed since 1974 using a whole-body counter, and these have made it possible to estimate age-specific long-term retention and elimination rates for men and women. Regarding the retention that correlated with the respective maturation ages, distinct sex differences have been observed for adolescents, whereas only postmenopausal women showed a sharp increase of their elimination rates. There were no differences concerning the reproductive ages. Our experimental findings have a clear physiological interpretation and can be used to develop metabolic models for bone-seeking radionuclides. Received: 22 September 1995 / Accepted in revised form: 10 October 1996