MEDICAL - Uses & Properties

Properties and Uses: 

Properties of Strontium-90 will impact the way in which it is used.

Below lists the relationship between Sr-90 Properties and Uses:

Properties:	Uses:
Soft metal like, fresh and lustrous. Turns yellow quickly in air. It is in the form of a soft metal and can be in dust form also.	This is very reactive in air, when freshly cut it will react with the air and burst into flame.
Radioactive Strontium-90 only emits Beta particles, no gamma. As it decays it generates heat.	This heat can be converted into electricity. This can then be used in long-lasting batteries and portable power supply. This includes space vehicles, navigational beacons and weather stations in remote areas. Also used in Russia as radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
Strontium has a half-life of 29 years.
Strontium has non-radioactive isotopes and also radioactive isotopes such as Sr-90	Radioactive source in the process of thickness gauging. Useful for treatment for certain cancers. These radiation properties are useful in radiation therapy in the medical field (treating cancer by controlling ‘malignant’ cells). This treatment is a controlled amount of Sr-90 for bone cancer. Radioactive tracer measuring rates of chemical reactions.

Strontium-90 as a Cancer Treatment: 

Strontium is also used in radiation therapy for bone cancers that are unresectable. It uses high energy rays to kill the cells and a high dosage is needed. However through this radiation, it can also kill healthy nerves and cells that surround. Surgery is used to remove cancer along with the radiation. The radiation can also be used if the cancer comes back to relieve pain and swelling.