Health effects triggered by tritium: how do we get public understanding based on scientifically supported evidence?

Abstract

The Commission for ‘Corresponding to Radiation Disaster of the Japanese Radiation Research Society’ formulated a description of potential health effects triggered by tritium. This was in response to the issue of discharging water containing tritium filtered by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), generated and stored in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station after the accident. In this review article, the contents of the description, originally provided in Japanese, which gives clear and detailed explanation about potential health effects triggered by tritium based on reliable scientific evidence in an understandable way for the public, were summarized. Then, additional information about biochemical or environmental behavior of organically bound tritium (OBT) were summarized in order to help scientists who communicate with general public.

Implications of Extended Environmental Multimedia Modeling System (EEMMS) on Water Allocation Management: Tritium Numerical Case Study

“…As mentioned earlier, after approximately 12.3 years, half of the initial tritium concentration will decay into helium 3. This exponential decay continues over successive half-lives, leading to a substantial decrease in tritium concentrations within a few decades [23,39]. Even at low concentrations, the increase of tritium in the gas will lead to a decrease in leachate, and the total mass remains balanced.…”

“…A fraction of tritium can evaporate into the atmosphere if the water table is shallow, leading to a gaseous phase. Due to its typical fate characteristics, the most common methods for tritium measurement limited among Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC), and Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) (converted into tritiated methane gas and measured) [22,23].…”

Implications of Extended Environmental Multimedia Modeling System (EEMMS) on Water Allocation Management: Tritium Numerical Case Study

“…As mentioned earlier, after approximately 12.3 years, half of the initial tritium concentration will decay into helium 3. This exponential decay continues over successive half-lives, leading to a substantial decrease in tritium concentrations within a few decades [23,39]. Even at low concentrations, the increase of tritium in the gas will lead to a decrease in leachate, and the total mass remains balanced.…”

“…A fraction of tritium can evaporate into the atmosphere if the water table is shallow, leading to a gaseous phase. Due to its typical fate characteristics, the most common methods for tritium measurement limited among Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC), and Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) (converted into tritiated methane gas and measured) [22,23].…”

Current and emerging technologies for the remediation of difficult-to-measure radionuclides at nuclear sites

“…53 Whilst 3 H does not accumulate in specific parts of the body, the 10 day and 40 day biological half-lives of tritiated water and OBT, respectively, make the radionuclide a potential hazard once inside humans. 54 Defining the specific risk that DTMRs pose can be complex due to a number of variables, including the exposure pathway to an individual (inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, etc. ), the body part(s) that come into contact with radiation, the age of the person (children and the elderly may potentially be more affected compared to adults), etc.…”

Latest Topics of Interest on Radiation Risk Communication: A Decade After Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

“…This is not only of concern to the people who lived around the FDNPP, but also has been an international issue for the past decade. 2 We have observed that the topics of interest related to radiation have gradually changed since the accident. 3 It is essential to pay attention to the most recent topics of concern or interest and to use them to develop effective risk communication efforts and to prepare for future nuclear disasters.…”

“…This is not only of concern to the people who lived around the FDNPP, but also has been an international issue for the past decade. 2…”

Implications of Extended Environmental Multimedia Modeling System (EEMMS) on Water Allocation Management: Tritium Numerical Case Study

“…As mentioned earlier, after approximately 12.3 years, half of the initial tritium concentration will decay into helium 3. This exponential decay continues over successive half-lives, leading to a substantial decrease in tritium concentrations within a few decades [23,39]. Even at low concentrations, the increase of tritium in the gas will lead to a decrease in leachate, and the total mass remains balanced.…”

“…A fraction of tritium can evaporate into the atmosphere if the water table is shallow, leading to a gaseous phase. Due to its typical fate characteristics, the most common methods for tritium measurement limited among Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC), and Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) (converted into tritiated methane gas and measured) [22,23].…”

Current and emerging technologies for the remediation of difficult-to-measure radionuclides at nuclear sites

“…53 Whilst 3 H does not accumulate in specific parts of the body, the 10 day and 40 day biological half-lives of tritiated water and OBT, respectively, make the radionuclide a potential hazard once inside humans. 54 Defining the specific risk that DTMRs pose can be complex due to a number of variables, including the exposure pathway to an individual (inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, etc. ), the body part(s) that come into contact with radiation, the age of the person (children and the elderly may potentially be more affected compared to adults), etc.…”

Latest Topics of Interest on Radiation Risk Communication: A Decade After Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

“…This is not only of concern to the people who lived around the FDNPP, but also has been an international issue for the past decade. 2 We have observed that the topics of interest related to radiation have gradually changed since the accident. 3 It is essential to pay attention to the most recent topics of concern or interest and to use them to develop effective risk communication efforts and to prepare for future nuclear disasters.…”

“…This is not only of concern to the people who lived around the FDNPP, but also has been an international issue for the past decade. 2…”

Implications of Extended Environmental Multimedia Modeling System (EEMMS) on Water Allocation Management: Tritium Numerical Case Study

“…As mentioned earlier, after approximately 12.3 years, half of the initial tritium concentration will decay into helium 3. This exponential decay continues over successive half-lives, leading to a substantial decrease in tritium concentrations within a few decades [23,39]. Even at low concentrations, the increase of tritium in the gas will lead to a decrease in leachate, and the total mass remains balanced.…”

“…A fraction of tritium can evaporate into the atmosphere if the water table is shallow, leading to a gaseous phase. Due to its typical fate characteristics, the most common methods for tritium measurement limited among Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC), and Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) (converted into tritiated methane gas and measured) [22,23].…”

Current and emerging technologies for the remediation of difficult-to-measure radionuclides at nuclear sites

“…53 Whilst 3 H does not accumulate in specific parts of the body, the 10 day and 40 day biological half-lives of tritiated water and OBT, respectively, make the radionuclide a potential hazard once inside humans. 54 Defining the specific risk that DTMRs pose can be complex due to a number of variables, including the exposure pathway to an individual (inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, etc. ), the body part(s) that come into contact with radiation, the age of the person (children and the elderly may potentially be more affected compared to adults), etc.…”

Latest Topics of Interest on Radiation Risk Communication: A Decade After Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

“…This is not only of concern to the people who lived around the FDNPP, but also has been an international issue for the past decade. 2 We have observed that the topics of interest related to radiation have gradually changed since the accident. 3 It is essential to pay attention to the most recent topics of concern or interest and to use them to develop effective risk communication efforts and to prepare for future nuclear disasters.…”

“…This is not only of concern to the people who lived around the FDNPP, but also has been an international issue for the past decade. 2…”