Accumulation and Retention of Tritium

Introduction Tritium (3H) in the natural environment is derived from natural or anthropogenic sources and can be used to estimate human radiation exposure around nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities. Elevated concentrations of 3H in the environment are generally associated with its production at nuclear facilities and exposure of local populations can be a public concern. The concentration of cosmogenic 3H in natural waters is estimated to be 0.1 BqL-1 [1, 2]. In continental environments, which are not directly adjacent to nuclear facilities, the radioactivity concentrations of 3H (“background”) currently range between 1 and 4 BqL-1.