EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL STRONTIUM CHELATORS IN AN OCTANOL-WATER SYSTEM

Sr-90 has a physical half-life of sufficient duration to make it a pot entially dangerous contaminant from nuclear accidents and radioactive wastes. In the present study, the efficacy of 16 compounds as potentia l chelators of strontium was tested in vitro. Strontium solubilization from strontium carbonate and its distribution in an octanol-water sys tem (D(o/w)) was determined in the absence and presence of alpha-ketog lutaric acid, Kryptorix(R) 222, nglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethylether)-N,N -tetraacetic acid, diethylentriamine pentaacetic acid, Kryptofix(R) 5, disodium chlodronate, disodium ethidronate, oxaloacetic acid, fumaric acid, D-gluconic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, D,L-2,3-diaminopro pionic acid, 1,1-cyclohexanediacetic acid, tartaric acid, and trans-1, 2-cyclohexanediol. Kryptofix(R) 222 and Kryptofix(R) 5 significantly i ncreased solubilized strontium, suggesting strontium chelation potenti al. Since in previous in vivo studies both compounds were also effecti ve in the removal of strontium following internal contamination, it is concluded that the octanol-water system may be useful screening compo unds with strontium chelation potential.