Tritium in the Physical and Biological Sciences

In recent years , tritium (the radioactive isotope of hydrogen) has been increasingly used as a r e search tool in chemistry, physics, biology, meteorology and hydrology. In a variety of investigations, such as the study of biological and metabolic processes, tritium or a chemical compound with tritium as one of the constituents can be used as a tracer. It is also useful in studying the effects of radiation on plants and animals or the nature of biochemical regulators such as vitamins and hormones. In hydrology a major practical use of tritium is in the study of ground-water, which is of obvious importance to irrigation plans in arid or semi-arid areas.