The hazards of tritium – revisited

Abstract

Tritium (3H) is the radioactive isotope of hydrogen, with a half-life of 12.3 years. It is created naturally in the atmosphere, and in higher annual rates in nuclear reactors and in nuclear weapon tests. This article surveys the properties of tritium, its biokinetics and its biological effectiveness. The safety levels of tritium have been a subject of dispute for many years, as many scientists consider that its doses and risks, as promulgated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection are, too low and should be at least doubled. Recent reports and evidence of increased cancer risks near nuclear installations that release tritium are discussed; these are of interest in view of new proposals to expand civil nuclear power.

A Critical Review of Health Impact Assessments in Ontario's Nuclear Industry

“…One area of nuclear power plants that represent a particular vulnerability to acts of terrorism are the spent 56 fuel pools 57 , most frequently located adjacent to reactor containment buildings (Thompson, 2003). These ponds contain much more long-lived radioactivity than reactor cores and are surrounded by much less structural integrity than that of a containment building 58 . Further, the USNRC contends that the spent fuel would spontaneously ignite if the cooling water was lost, potentially releasing up to 100% of the Cs-137 in the pool (Alvarez, 2002).…”

Radionuclides in Italian Drinking Water and Regulations: Data Collection to Improve Risk Assessment

“…H-3 is a radioisotope of hydrogen with a mainly cosmogenic origin formed in the high atmosphere that reaches the ground with rain [17,18]. A small fraction is H-3 of artificial origin produced by human activities as research and nuclear power plants.…”

Measurement of Natural Radionuclides in Drinking Water and Risk Assessment in a Volcanic Region of Italy, Campania

“…While the majority of tissue irradiation is due to the absorption or internal formation of HTO, since it is distributed throughout the body, the inhalation of tritiated water vapor is almost completely absorbed by the lungs and the skin through the exchange process of perspiration [29][30][31]. Unfortunately, there are not many epidemiological studies that evaluate the effects of tritium exposure alone [32], and the few available do not contain enough details necessary to the assessment of the risks correlated to the exposure to this element [33,34].…”