STRONTIUM: THE REVOLUTIONARY ELEMENT

DEFINITION: Strontium (Sr) is a soft silver-white or yellowish element that is highly reactive. It is a new element named after Strontian, a Scottish village where Adair Crawford, a physician, and William Cruickshank, his colleague, discovered it. It is an alkaline earth metal. Its physical and chemical properties are similar to that of calcium and barium, but it is not usually used as a replacement because of its high costs.

It is a silvery metal that rapidly oxidizes to a yellowish color when exposed to air. It actively reacts in water to create products such as hydroxides and hydrogen gas. It can ignite spontaneously in air to produce oxides and nitrites. The element commonly occurs in nature, comprising about 0.034% of rocks on earth. It is one of the common elements found in the earth’s crust, making it one of the abundant elements in the soil. About 140,000 to 150,000 tons of the element’s ore are produced every year.

DISCOVERY: Adair Crawford and William Cruickshank discovered the element when they recognized that the ores from the lead mines of Strontian exhibited properties that are different from the ores normally seen there. When they tested witherite, the most common minerals therein, by mixing it with hydrochloric acid, the witherite reacted differently.

This made them conclude that their samples of witherite were contaminated with another mineral, which they named strontianite. Efforts to isolate the element from witherite were done, and Sir Humphry Davy, an English chemist, was the first to successfully isolate it by mixing its chloride and mercuric oxide and subjecting this mixture to electrolysis (process by which electric current is passed through a substance to effect a chemical change).

EFFECTS OF THE ELEMENT:

Health - The element has no biological role in the human body, unlike calcium and barium. It can, however, be more of a threat than a benefit. Because of its high reactivity in water, it can make water-insoluble compounds become soluble ones. These compounds are more dangerous than the insoluble ones because they have the ability to pollute water, thus, exposing humans to certain levels of exposure. However, exposure to small levels of this element is not fatal to the health of humans.

Exposure to high levels is generally not known to be fatal to humans because of its impossibility in daily living. Though it is true that a significantly high concentrations of this element can be found in green and leafy vegetables, grains, and dairy products, such level is not enough to cause grave effects such as deterioration of bone growth and development, allergic reaction, skin rashes or other skin problems. It is claimed that exposure levels in food and drinking water are not enough to cause these effects.

Its radioactive isotope is more dangerous than the stable one because of its ability to damage genetic materials in cells when they are exposed to high concentrations. Also, it is believed that because it can damage genetic materials, it can also cause cancer. Contrary reports, though, contends that it kill can kill cancer cells.

Environment - This element can be found everywhere - rocks, water, soil, and air. Because of the high reactivity of the element, it can easily move from one medium to another. Thus, it can easily end up in food items such as fish, vegetables, meat, and dairy products.

The element’s exposure levels can be increased through human activity such as mining, ore extraction, and crude oil combustion. This is dangerous, and even fatal, because such human activity can cause the production of the element’s radioactive isotope which is more hazardous than the stable one. Though it does not occur naturally, the production of such isotope can also transfer from one medium to another, because of its high reactivity.

EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENT: Exposure to Strontium (Sr) cannot be detected using the senses. It can easily transfer from one medium to another. There is no guaranteed method to avoid exposure to the element. However, specialized equipment detecting it and its isotope is needed to determine the level of exposure.

THE RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE - As its research progressed, several isotopes of this element have been discovered, including the radioactive isotope. This well-known isotope was discovered during the 1940s through nuclear explosion testing and nuclear tests directly related to the discovery and development of the atomic bomb.

Strontium-90 is the product of the fission of plutonium and uranium. This dangerously radioactive isotope is commonly found in waste from nuclear reactors and in the atmosphere during nuclear weapon tests.

The isotope has the same physical properties with the non-radioactive element. The difference is that the former has the ability to emit a beta particle. It has a half-life of about 29.1 years. Because the element has similarities with calcium and barium, the isotope behaves chemically like them. Thus, it tends to concentrate in bone and teeth.

BASIC ELEMENT INFORMATION:
Symbol: Sr
Group: 2
Period: 5
Atomic Number: 38
Atomic Mass: 87.62
Density at 20°C: 2.6 g/cm3
Melting Point: 777°C, 1431°F, 1050 K
Boiling Point: 1377°C, 2511°F, 1657 K
Specific Heat: 0.301 J/g mol
Oxidation States: 2
Lattice Structure: Face-Centered Cubic

USES:

Despite being a relatively new element, it has been used for different purposes, ranging from industrial, environmental, and health purposes.

Fireworks and flares: Because of the element’s high reactivity, it is usually used in pyrotechnics and in signal flares. The crimson red color appearing when fireworks explode and when signal flares are used is brought about by its high reactivity in air.

Material for research purposes:   The high-energy radiation emitted by one of its isotopes is used in space vehicles and navigation buoys because of its ability to generate electric current. Also, it is used as a material in creating special glasses for television screens, display units, and cellular phones.

Treatment for cancer: Though known to be dangerous, the radioactive isotope of the element is one of the well-known high-energy beta emitters used in cancer therapy. Exposure to high concentrations of the element, guided with medical supervision, can destroy the genetic materials of cancer cells, preventing their multiplication.

Consumer goods: The element is also widely used in toothpaste for sensitive teeth. It is also used to improve the quality of pottery, refine metals such as zinc, and produce iron magnets.

[The information contained in this article is believed to be reliable. I have taken every precaution to verify its accuracy; I am not a medical professional and make no warranties, representations or guarantees of any kind as to its accuracy. Medical knowledge is in a constant state of change, and what I have written here may be out of date by the time you read it. The information that I have provided here is for informational purposes only and not for use in diagnosing any condition that you may or may not have. Always consult with you doctor before treating yourself.]