Strontium-90 in Deciduous Teeth Collected in Northern Finland from Children Born in 1952–1964.

Abstract

Strontium-90 content was measured by means of Cerenkov radiation in deciduous teeth collected in three areas in northern Finland from children bom in 1952–1964.

The ⁹⁰Sr levels in tooth crowns in areas I and II showed a continuous increase in children born in 1952–1958, no further increase during the years 1959–1961, a sharp increase in 1962–1963, and no further change in 1964. In the northernmost part of Finland (area III) the strontium-90 contents of deciduous teeth when plotted against year of birth showed a slightly different trend with no increase during the years 1952–1957 and a steep rise in 1958 and 1959. These changes occurred in both Lapp and non-Lapp children. These differences in the strontium-90 content of deciduous teeth were presumably related to environmental peculiarities and specific dietary habits in area III. The maximum strontium-90 level, 16.76 pCi/gCa, was found in a sample of tooth roots of four Skolt children born in 1963.

The strontium-90 contents in the crowns of the four types of deciduous teeth were related as follows: second molars > cuspids > first molars > incisors.