Strontium - from sensitive teeth toothpaste to nuclear fission

Named after a Scottish town, strontium can be highly radioactive & glow-in-the-dark, but also used in toothpaste, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, in ep 80 of Elemental.

Strontium is named after the Scottish village of Strontian and is the United Kingdom's only claim to fame on the periodic table.

It is a group 2 metal that sits between calcium and barium on the periodic table, and is best known for producing a brilliant crimson-red colour in fireworks.

Strontium aluminate is widely used in glow-in-dark paints and plastic because in the presence of a smidge of euroropium it can be irradiated with white light to slowly produce a long-lasting green light. This is because it is a photoluminescent phosphorescent material.

Strontium salts are sometimes used in toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth.

Strontium is probably best known for the 90Sr isotope formed in nuclear fission and contained in nuclear waste, says Professor Allan Blackman from the Auckland University of Technology, in episode 80 of Elemental.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details