**(Part 4 of 4)**

**Radiological Training for Tritium Facilities**

**Student\'s Guide**

![](media/image1.png){width="2.372916666666667in"
height="2.3493055555555555in"}

**Coordinated and Conducted**

**for**

**Office of Health, Safety and Security**

**U.S. Department of Energy**

*This page intentionally left blank.*

Course Objectives: EO1 IDENTIFY the following properties of tritium:

> \- physical/chemical
>
> \- radioactive.
>
> EO2 IDENTIFY sources of tritium:
>
> \- natural
>
> \- by-product
>
> \- weapons.
>
> EO3 IDENTIFY uses of tritium:
>
> \- weapons applications
>
> \- research
>
> \- fusion energy production
>
> \- industrial/commercial.
>
> EO4 IDENTIFY modes of tritium exposure:
>
> \- inhalation
>
> \- ingestion
>
> \- absorption
>
> \- injection/wound.
>
> EO5 IDENTIFY the biological effects of tritium:
>
> \- biological half-life
>
> \- dose.
>
> EO6 IDENTIFY the radiological control methods for tritium:
>
> \- engineered
>
> \- administrative
>
> \- surface contamination limits
>
> \- personnel protective equipment
>
> \- application of ALARA principles.
>
> EO7 IDENTIFY methods for monitoring for tritium:
>
> \- air sampling for worker safety
>
> \- contamination surveys
>
> \- bioassay.
>
> EO8 IDENTIFY tritium waste minimization and handling
>
> techniques. (Site-Specific)
>
> E09 IDENTIFY alarms and proper response to abnormal
>
> conditions in the tritium facility. (Site-Specific)

+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| I.   | PROPERTIES OF TRITIUM - What is        |                      |
|      | tritium?                               |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | Tritium is a radioactive isotope of    |                      |
|      | hydrogen (H). Hydrogen is the lightest |                      |
|      | and most abundant element in the       |                      |
|      | universe. Hydrogen has only one proton |                      |
|      | in its nucleus. Tritium has, in        |                      |
|      | addition to the single proton, two     |                      |
|      | neutrons in its nucleus. This makes it |                      |
|      | three times heavier than the most      |                      |
|      | common form of hydrogen.               |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | A. Isotopes of Hydrogen                |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | > 1\. Protium (H) (99.985% natural     |                      |
|      | > abundance)                           |                      |
|      | >                                      |                      |
|      | > 2\. Deuterium = hydrogen + 1 neutron |                      |
|      | > (D) (0.015% natural abundance)       |                      |
|      | >                                      |                      |
|      | > 3\. Tritium = hydrogen + 2 neutrons  |                      |
|      | > (T)                                  |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | B. Symbol for Tritium                  |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | > Tritium is designated as:            |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | $$\text{T, H-3, or }{}_{1}^{3}H$$      |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | C. Chemical Properties of              |                      |
|      | Hydrogen/Tritium                       |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | > Tritium \"behaves\" just like        |                      |
|      | > hydrogen chemically because it has   |                      |
|      | > one proton and one electron like     |                      |
|      | > ordinary hydrogen.                   |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| 1\. Substitution                            |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > Tritium atoms can easily substitute for   |                        |
| > hydrogen atoms. Examples:                 |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > a\. [elemental hydrogen]{.underline}      |                        |
| > (tritium gas, HT, DT, or T~2~)            |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| b\. [tritiated water]{.underline} (tritium  |                        |
| oxide: HTO, DTO, or T~2~O)                  |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > c\. [organically bound                    |                        |
| > tritium]{.underline}: These compounds may |                        |
| > result in more dose per intake than       |                        |
| > tritiated water.                          |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > d\. [metals and tritium]{.underline}      |                        |
| > (metal tritides): These compounds may     |                        |
| > result in more dose per intake than       |                        |
| > tritiated water. Accordingly, additional  |                        |
| > controls may be needed, such as special   |                        |
| > air monitoring or enhanced personnel      |                        |
| > protective equipment.                     |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 2\. Solubility                            |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Exchanges with hydrogen in organic and    |                        |
| > other materials (oils, plastics, etc.)    |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > 3\. Flammability                          |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Tritium gas is flammable and can explode  |                        |
| > under certain conditions.                 |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| D. Physical Properties                      |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| 1\. Diffusion                               |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| Tritium gas is lighter than air and         |                        |
| diffuses rapidly in air.                    |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| 2\. Permeability                            |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| Tritium gas permeates through most          |                        |
| materials, that is, it travels through them |                        |
| by way of spaces or interstices in them.    |                        |
| The rate depends upon the material and its  |                        |
| thickness. Tritium\'s radioactive,          |                        |
| chemically reducing and diffusive           |                        |
| properties result in degradation of many    |                        |
| useful polymeric materials, pump oils,      |                        |
| plastics, and o-rings. This can cause loss  |                        |
| of mechanical functions in certain          |                        |
| situations within a short period of time.   |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| $$\text{                                    |                        |
|   }{}_{1}^{3}\text{H }\text{decays}\text{to |                        |
| }{}_{2}^{3}\beta^{- -}\overline{\upsilon}$$ |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| E. Radioactive Decay of Tritium             |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| $$\text{  }{}_{2}^{3}\text{He =  Helium}$$  |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| $$\                                         |                        |
| overline{\upsilon}\text{ = anti-neutrino}$$ |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| $$\text{  }\beta^{-}\text{ =  beta minus}$$ |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > Tritium \"decays\" by emitting a beta     |                        |
| > particle and becoming an atom of helium.  |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 1\. Beta Energy                           |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > A very low energy beta is emitted.        |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 2\. Beta Range                            |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| Tritium is not an \"external\" radiation    |                        |
| hazard.                                     |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| a\. Travels less than 1/4 inch in air       |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > b\. Cannot penetrate through the dead     |                        |
| > layer of the skin                         |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > c\. Cannot penetrate clothing or gloves   |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 3\. Half-life                             |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Radioactive half-life = 12.3 years.       |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| F. X-Ray Production                         |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > Tritium betas can produce low energy x    |                        |
| > rays. Because the beta particle is of     |                        |
| > such low energy the x rays it may produce |                        |
| > are not very penetrating and are not      |                        |
| > normally considered a hazard.             |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| G. Fusion                                   |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > Fusion is the process of two nuclei       |                        |
| > joining together. The energy source in    |                        |
| > most stars is nuclear fusion of hydrogen  |                        |
| > isotopes.                                 |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| SOURCES AND USES OF TRITIUM                 |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| How is tritium produced and what is it used |                        |
| for?                                        |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| A. Sources of Tritium                       |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > There are three primary sources of        |                        |
| > tritium in our environment. Tritium is    |                        |
| > present in our environment from both      |                        |
| > man-made and natural sources as discussed |                        |
| > below. Natural tritium is                 |                        |
| > indistinguishable from man-made tritium.  |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > 1\. Natural Sources                       |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Tritium occurs naturally. It is formed by |                        |
| > the reactions between cosmic rays and the |                        |
| > nitrogen in the upper atmosphere.         |                        |
| > Nitrogen makes up 80% of the earths       |                        |
| > atmosphere.                               |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Cosmic rays generate approximately 4      |                        |
| > million curies of tritium per year. With  |                        |
| > tritium being continually produced and at |                        |
| > the same time decaying, the natural       |                        |
| > tritium in our environment is about 70    |                        |
| > million curies.                           |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 2\. By-Product of Reactor Sources         |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > a\. Lithium-7 captures a neutron and      |                        |
| > decays with tritium as a product.         |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > b\. Boron captures a neutron and decays   |                        |
| > with tritium as a product.                |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > c\. Activation of deuterium in water.     |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > d\. Ternary fission - A fission resulting |                        |
| > in three fission products, one of which   |                        |
| > is tritium. This process has a 0.1%       |                        |
| > yield.                                    |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| The production of tritium from power        |                        |
| reactors around the world is less than      |                        |
| one-half that naturally formed              |                        |
| (approximately 1 to 2 million curies a      |                        |
| year).                                      |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 3\. Weapons Testing as a Source           |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > The amount of tritium in the world from   |                        |
| > weapons testing has been steadily         |                        |
| > declining since the 1970\'s when          |                        |
| > atmospheric testing was curtailed.        |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > Atmospheric testing from 1945-1975        |                        |
| > produced about 8 billion curies. This has |                        |
| > decayed to about 400 million curies.      |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 4\. DOE Production of Tritium             |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > DOE has produced tritium at the Savannah  |                        |
| > River Site with the use of a reactor.     |                        |
| > Tritium is commercially available from    |                        |
| > from Canada and the European Community    |                        |
| > for non-weapons use.                      |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| B. Uses of Tritium                          |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > 1\. Consumer Products                     |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > a\. [Gaseous tritium light                |                        |
| > sources]{.underline}                      |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > \- exit signs (1 Ci to tens of Ci\'s)     |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > \- aviation landing aids (30-165 Ci per   |                        |
| > light)                                    |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > (1 curie of tritium has a mass of         |                        |
| > approximately 0.1 mg)                     |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > b\. [Luminizing industry]{.underline}:    |                        |
| > Self-luminous compounds for dials         |                        |
| > (several mCi\'s) and controls as well as  |                        |
| > other general industry uses.              |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 2\. Research - Tritium Labeling           |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| Tracers for medical and laboratory          |                        |
| research.                                   |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 3\. Department of Energy                  |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > a\. [Weapons development and              |                        |
| > applications]{.underline}                 |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > b\. [Fusion energy]{.underline}: As a     |                        |
| > fuel source                               |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| II  | MODES OF EXPOSURE AND BIOLOGICAL        |                      |
| I\. | BEHAVIOR OF TRITIUM - How can I be      |                      |
|     | exposed to tritium and what would it do |                      |
|     | to me?                                  |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|     | A. External Dose                        |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | > \- Tritium is not an external hazard. |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > \- Tritium is not a dose concern if   |                      |
|     | > it is located outside the body.       |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > \- Tritium betas will not penetrate a |                      |
|     | > dosimeter.                            |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > \- We are interested only in tritium  |                      |
|     | > inside the body.                      |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|     | B. Internal Dose                        |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | > Tritium is an \"internal\" radiation  |                      |
|     | > hazard.                               |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|     | C. Modes of Exposure                    |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | > Tritium can deliver a radiation dose  |                      |
|     | > if it gets inside our bodies. Modes   |                      |
|     | > of entry include:                     |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > \- inhalation                         |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > \- absorption                         |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > \- injection (cuts/wounds)            |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > \- ingestion                          |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+

+------+---------------------------------------------+----------------+
|      | > 1\. Inhalation                            |                |
|      | >                                           |                |
|      | > a\. [Tritium gas:]{.underline} is only    |                |
|      | > slightly incorporated into the body when  |                |
|      | > inhaled. Most tritium gas inhaled is      |                |
|      | > subsequently exhaled. There are other     |                |
|      | > chemical and physical processes to        |                |
|      | > convert tritium gas to tritiated water.   |                |
|      | >                                           |                |
|      | > b\. [Tritiated water vapor:]{.underline}  |                |
|      | > Nearly 100% of tritiated water vapor      |                |
|      | > inhaled is incorporated into body         |                |
|      | > fluids/tissues.                           |                |
|      | >                                           |                |
|      | > c\. [Hazard:]{.underline} Exposure to     |                |
|      | > tritiated water is approximately 25,000   |                |
|      | > times more hazardous than exposure to     |                |
|      | > elemental tritium gas.                    |                |
|      | >                                           |                |
|      | > d\. [Special Tritium                      |                |
|      | > Compounds]{.underline}: consist of        |                |
|      | > organically bound tritium and tritium     |                |
|      | > particulate aerosols.                     |                |
|      | >                                           |                |
|      | > Exposure to organically bound tritium can |                |
|      | > be up to approximately 13 times more      |                |
|      | > hazardous than exposure to HTO.           |                |
|      | >                                           |                |
|      | > Exposure to tritium particulate aerosols  |                |
|      | > can deliver up to approximately 20 times  |                |
|      | > more dose to the whole body than exposure |                |
|      | > to HTO. The dose to the lungs from        |                |
|      | > tritium particulate aerosols could be 2   |                |
|      | > orders of magnitude higher than from HTO. |                |
+------+---------------------------------------------+----------------+
|      | 2\. Ingestion                               |                |
|      |                                             |                |
|      | > ***Ingestion*** may occur by eating,      |                |
|      | > drinking, chewing tobacco, and applying   |                |
|      | > makeup where tritium contamination is     |                |
|      | > present. Always wash hands thoroughly     |                |
|      | > when leaving areas where there is a       |                |
|      | > potential for contamination, and never    |                |
|      | > eat, drink etc. where tritium             |                |
|      | > contamination may be present.             |                |
+------+---------------------------------------------+----------------+
|      |                                             |                |
+------+---------------------------------------------+----------------+

+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| > 3\. Absorption                        |                            |
| >                                       |                            |
| > Absorption is also a hazard because   |                            |
| > an individual can receive, in certain |                            |
| > situations, 1/3 of their uptake from  |                            |
| > absorption through the skin if not    |                            |
| > properly using personal protective    |                            |
| > equipment.                            |                            |
| >                                       |                            |
| > a\. [Tritium gas]{.underline}: There  |                            |
| > is negligible skin absorption for     |                            |
| > tritium gas.                          |                            |
| >                                       |                            |
| > b\. [Tritiated water]{.underline}:    |                            |
| > Tritiated water can be absorbed       |                            |
| > through the skin. It has been         |                            |
| > observed that moisture on hands       |                            |
| > enhances absorption.                  |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| c\. [Solvents]{.underline}: Some        |                            |
| solvents (organically bound tritium)    |                            |
| can also go through the skin.           |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| > Tritium will penetrate gloves,        |                            |
| > therefore gloves must be changed at a |                            |
| > prescribed routine basis.             |                            |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| D. Biological Behavior of Uptakes of    |                            |
| Tritium                                 |                            |
|                                         |                            |
| > Tritiated water in the body acts just |                            |
| > like water.                           |                            |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| > 1\. Distribution                      |                            |
| >                                       |                            |
| > Tritiated water is rapidly and        |                            |
| > uniformly distributed throughout the  |                            |
| > entire body. The Committed Effective  |                            |
| > Dose Equivalent (CEDE) from an uptake |                            |
| > of one curie of tritiated water is 63 |                            |
| > rem. Soluble organically bound        |                            |
| > tritium behaves in the body in a      |                            |
| > similar manner.                       |                            |
| >                                       |                            |
| > Stable tritium particulate aerosols   |                            |
| > and insoluble organically bound       |                            |
| > tritium behave in the body in a       |                            |
| > similar manner as the particulate to  |                            |
| > which the tritium is bound.           |                            |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+

+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|     | 2\. Biological Half-life                |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | > Half of the HTO is eliminated from    |                      |
|     | > the body in about 10 days. Through    |                      |
|     | > normal biological processes, it would |                      |
|     | > take 70 days or more to eliminate 99% |                      |
|     | > of the assimilated tritiated water.   |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > Stable tritium particulate aerosols   |                      |
|     | > and insoluble organically bound       |                      |
|     | > tritium behave in the body in a       |                      |
|     | > similar manner as the particulate to  |                      |
|     | > which the tritium is bound and would  |                      |
|     | > have a longer half life.              |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|     | E. Medical Treatment                    |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | > The biological half-life can be       |                      |
|     | > shortened by increasing the water     |                      |
|     | > elimination in the body. Therefore,   |                      |
|     | > individuals who have uptakes of       |                      |
|     | > tritium are encouraged to drink       |                      |
|     | > water. Drinking copious amounts of    |                      |
|     | > water should not be done without a    |                      |
|     | > physician\'s guidance. Certain        |                      |
|     | > medical conditions may be affected by |                      |
|     | > liquid intake.                        |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| I   | RADIOLOGICAL CONTROLS FOR TRITIUM - How |                      |
| V\. | can I protect myself from exposures to  |                      |
|     | tritium?                                |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | Tritium can be present in a variety of  |                      |
|     | chemical forms. Ongoing research        |                      |
|     | indicates that the form of tritium      |                      |
|     | which gives the highest dose (per unit  |                      |
|     | intake) is tritium particulate          |                      |
|     | aerosols. However, these compounds are  |                      |
|     | not found in the quantities and various |                      |
|     | locations as tritiated water. If we can |                      |
|     | rule out special tritium compounds as   |                      |
|     | being of concern, we assume it may be   |                      |
|     | tritiated water.                        |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | The preferred hierarchy of control is   |                      |
|     | as follows:                             |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | \- engineered                           |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | \- administrative                       |                      |
|     |                                         |                      |
|     | \- personal protective equipment        |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| A. Engineered Controls                      |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > 1\. Containment and Confinement           |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Containment or confinement is a series of |                        |
| > physical barriers, minimizes exposure of  |                        |
| > workers.                                  |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > Confinements such as glove boxes are      |                        |
| > almost always used when handling large    |                        |
| > quantities of tritium. However, hoods are |                        |
| > acceptable for handling small quantities, |                        |
| > such as in a laboratory.                  |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 2\. Airflow                               |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Maintaining negative ventilation is       |                        |
| > essential for the safe operation of a     |                        |
| > tritium facility. Airflow should be from  |                        |
| > areas of LEAST to MOST contamination.     |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 3\. Local Exhaust Ventilation             |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > The primary advantage of local exhaust    |                        |
| > ventilation techniques is the removal of  |                        |
| > airborne tritium, regardless of its       |                        |
| > release rate or chemical or physical      |                        |
| > form. In addition, these techniques use   |                        |
| > relatively low volume rates compared to   |                        |
| > normal ventilation requirements.          |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| > 4\. Dilution Ventilation                  |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Dilution ventilation is the once-through  |                        |
| > flow technique of exchanging outside air  |                        |
| > for inside air for comfort and the        |                        |
| > reduction of airborne sources.            |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > 5\. Storage                               |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > Tritium can be stored in storage beds.    |                        |
| > Metal tritide and uranium hydride are the |                        |
| > most common for these storage systems.    |                        |
| > Tritium is generally released by heating  |                        |
| > the metal tritide.                        |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
| B. Administrative Controls                  |                        |
|                                             |                        |
| > There are many administrative controls to |                        |
| > reduce doses. The following are just a    |                        |
| > few that should apply to all sites:       |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > \- limitation of access time              |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > \- procedures/RWPs                        |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > \- postings                               |                        |
| >                                           |                        |
| > For tritium and tritium compounds, 10 CFR |                        |
| > 835 Appendix D requires posting           |                        |
| > contamination areas based on removable    |                        |
| > contamination values of 10,000            |                        |
| > dpm/100cm^2^.                             |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+
|                                             |                        |
+---------------------------------------------+------------------------+

+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| C.  | > Personal Protective Equipment         |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > 1\. Air Supplied Suits                |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > Because of the absorption through the |                      |
|     | > skin associated with the use of       |                      |
|     | > respirators and other breathing       |                      |
|     | > apparatus, air-supplied plastic suits |                      |
|     | > that completely enclose the body are  |                      |
|     | > widely used by facilities that handle |                      |
|     | > large quantities of tritium.          |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|     | > 2\. Protective Clothing               |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > Protective clothing (PC), or          |                      |
|     | > anti-contamination clothing           |                      |
|     | > (anti-Cs), is used to minimize the    |                      |
|     | > spread of contamination from          |                      |
|     | > contaminated to clean areas.          |                      |
|     | >                                       |                      |
|     | > In many operations, the hands and     |                      |
|     | > forearms of workers are vulnerable to |                      |
|     | > contact with tritium surface          |                      |
|     | > contamination. The proper selection   |                      |
|     | > of gloves and glove materials is      |                      |
|     | > important. In many instances a        |                      |
|     | > plastic/water proof suit is required. |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| V.  | MONITORING FOR TRITIUM - How do I know  |                      |
|     | if tritium is present?                  |                      |
+-----+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+

+--------------------------------------------+---+-----------------------+---+
| A. Personnel Monitoring                    |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| > 1\. External Dose                        |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| Dosimeters are not typically used to       |   |                       |   |
| monitor for radiological doses resulting   |   |                       |   |
| from tritium. The weak energy beta         |   |                       |   |
| radiation will not penetrate the           |   |                       |   |
| dosimeter.                                 |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| > insert any site specific monitoring      |   |                       |   |
| > procedures)                              |   |                       |   |
+--------------------------------------------+---+-----------------------+---+
| > 2\. Internal Dose                        |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| The best method used to determine if an    |   |                       |   |
| individual has an uptake of HTO or soluble |   |                       |   |
| organically bound tritium is by bioassay   |   |                       |   |
| (urinalysis). Routine urine samples,       |   |                       |   |
| collected at some predetermined frequency  |   |                       |   |
| and counted for the tritium content,       |   |                       |   |
| provide a very sensitive measurement of    |   |                       |   |
| tritium in the body. This is especially    |   |                       |   |
| true if the time of uptake is known.       |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| > Air sampling results may be used to      |   |                       |   |
| > assess dose from other types of special  |   |                       |   |
| > tritium compounds.                       |   |                       |   |
+--------------------------------------------+---+-----------------------+---+
| > 3\. Routine Versus Non-Routine Bioassay  |   |                       |   |
| > Monitoring                               |   |                       |   |
| >                                          |   |                       |   |
| > a\. [Routine]{.underline}: Routine       |   |                       |   |
| > urinalysis is conducted on a preset      |   |                       |   |
| > periodic basis.                          |   |                       |   |
| >                                          |   |                       |   |
| > b\. [Non-routine or                      |   |                       |   |
| > Special]{.underline}: Non-routine        |   |                       |   |
| > bioassay is done whenever a potential    |   |                       |   |
| > exposure to tritium is suspected.        |   |                       |   |
| >                                          |   |                       |   |
| > (insert site specific bioassay           |   |                       |   |
| > procedures)                              |   |                       |   |
+--------------------------------------------+---+-----------------------+---+
| B. Workplace Monitoring                    |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| > Air monitoring and surface contamination |   |                       |   |
| > surveys are used to verify that loose    |   |                       |   |
| > contamination is not present. They       |   |                       |   |
| > provide an early indication of potential |   |                       |   |
| > problems.                                |   |                       |   |
+--------------------------------------------+---+-----------------------+---+
| > 1\. Airborne Tritium Monitoring          |   |                       |   |
| >                                          |   |                       |   |
| > Airborne tritium monitoring is used for: |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| a\. Prompt detection of airborne           |   |                       |   |
| contamination for worker protection;       |   |                       |   |
|                                            |   |                       |   |
| > b\. Determination of the status of       |   |                       |   |
| > processes; and                           |   |                       |   |
| >                                          |   |                       |   |
| > c\. Identification of any leaks in       |   |                       |   |
| > primary or secondary containments or     |   |                       |   |
| > confinements.                            |   |                       |   |
+--------------------------------------------+---+-----------------------+---+
| > 2\. Contamination Surveys                |   |                       |   |
| >                                          |   |                       |   |
| > Despite contamination control measures,  |   |                       |   |
| > tritium is easily spread.                |   |                       |   |
| >                                          |   |                       |   |
| > All workplaces shall be surveyed for     |   |                       |   |
| > contamination levels on a regularly      |   |                       |   |
| > scheduled basis. The frequency of such   |   |                       |   |
| > surveys will depend on the potential for |   |                       |   |
| > dispersement of the tritium-contaminated |   |                       |   |
| > material in the area and the quantity of |   |                       |   |
| > tritium in the area. During routine      |   |                       |   |
| > surveys, all work enclosures, work       |   |                       |   |
| > surfaces, floors, equipment, etc.,       |   |                       |   |
| > within the workplace should be surveyed. |   |                       |   |
+--------------------------------------------+---+-----------------------+---+

+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | > At the surface contamination levels  |                      |
|      | > in 10 CFR 835 Appendix d, tritium is |                      |
|      | > difficult to measure directly        |                      |
|      | > because the low-energy beta is       |                      |
|      | > readily absorbed in air and the      |                      |
|      | > window of the detector. Normal       |                      |
|      | > frisking methods (use of pancake     |                      |
|      | > probe) will not detect tritiated     |                      |
|      | > water.                               |                      |
|      | >                                      |                      |
|      | > Surfaces are normally wiped          |                      |
|      | > (smeared) with a small paper, either |                      |
|      | > dry or moistened, which will pick up |                      |
|      | > loose tritiated material. The wipe   |                      |
|      | > is then normally counted by liquid   |                      |
|      | > scintillation techniques.            |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| VI\. | TRITIUM WASTE MINIMIZATION AND         |                      |
|      | HANDLING- Why is it important and how  |                      |
|      | do you minimize tritium waste?         |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | (insert site specific controls)        |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | Methods below are given as a reference |                      |
|      | only.                                  |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | A. Minimizing Tritium-Contaminated     |                      |
|      | Waste                                  |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | 1\. Avoid generating wastes by not     |                      |
|      | bringing unnecessary material into the |                      |
|      | controlled area.                       |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | > 2\. Whenever possible, avoid use of  |                      |
|      | > porous materials or those known to   |                      |
|      | > be highly permeable to tritium.      |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | > 3\. Designate an area to store       |                      |
|      | > contaminated tools for reuse or      |                      |
|      | > consider all tools in the area to be |                      |
|      | > contaminated.                        |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      |                                        |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+

+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | > 4\. Plan work so that, [whenever     |                      |
|      | > possible]{.underline}, construction  |                      |
|      | > and clean maintenance can be done in |                      |
|      | > a clean area.                        |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | 5\. When transporting items            |                      |
|      | contaminated with tritium, adequate    |                      |
|      | contamination control such as wrapping |                      |
|      | in plastic or placing in sealed        |                      |
|      | containers should be considered.       |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | B. Minimizing Mixed Waste              |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | (insert site specific controls)        |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | > Methods below are given as a         |                      |
|      | > reference only.                      |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | > 1\. Use non-hazardous cleaning       |                      |
|      | > materials for decontamination        |                      |
|      | > whenever possible.                   |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | > 2\. Segregate radioactive-only from  |                      |
|      | > hazardous-only at the source.        |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | > 3\. Explore the use of other         |                      |
|      | > materials which are non-hazardous    |                      |
|      | > for use in radiological areas to     |                      |
|      | > prevent the generation of mixed      |                      |
|      | > waste.                               |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| V    | RESPONSE TO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS IN THE |                      |
| II\. | TRITIUM FACILITY- What should I do in  |                      |
|      | an emergency involving tritium?        |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | To properly deal with unexpected       |                      |
|      | adverse situations occurring in a      |                      |
|      | tritium facility, a well-thought-out   |                      |
|      | response program and personnel trained |                      |
|      | to execute the response should be in   |                      |
|      | place.                                 |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+

+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | A. Abnormal Conditions                 |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | > Abnormal conditions in a tritium     |                      |
|      | > facility could include:              |                      |
|      | >                                      |                      |
|      | > \- fire/explosion                    |                      |
|      | >                                      |                      |
|      | > \- natural disaster                  |                      |
|      | >                                      |                      |
|      | > \- tritium releases                  |                      |
|      | >                                      |                      |
|      | > \- other hazards                     |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | Personnel found contaminated should    |                      |
|      | follow site specific decontamination   |                      |
|      | procedures which would typically       |                      |
|      | include showering with cold water and  |                      |
|      | the use of mild detergents.            |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
|      | B. Facility Alarms                     |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | > (insert site specific alarms and     |                      |
|      | > emergency response procedures)       |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | C. Facility Emergency Responses        |                      |
|      |                                        |                      |
|      | > (insert site specific alarms and     |                      |
|      | > emergency response procedures)       |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| VI   | LESSONS LEARNED                        |                      |
| II\. |                                        |                      |
|      | (insert site specific lessons learned) |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+
| IX\. | SUMMARY AND REVIEW                     |                      |
+------+----------------------------------------+----------------------+

> **CONCLUDING MATERIAL**
>
> **Review Activity: Preparing Activity:**
>
> DOE Field Offices DOE-HS-11
>
> DP RF ***Peter V. O'Connell, CHP,*** 301 903 5641
>
> HSS ID **Project Number:**
>
> EM SR TRNG-0020
>
> NE OH
>
> SC RL
>
> GC
>
> IA
>
> RW
>
> NN
>
> National Laboratories Operations Offices
>
> BNL AL
>
> LLNL NV
>
> LANL OAK
>
> PNL OR
>
> Sandia CH
>
> ANL
>
> New Brunswick
>
> ORNL
>
> SRNL
>
> Area Offices
>
> Amarillo Area Office
>
> Kirtland Area Office
>
> Princeton Area Office
>
> Fernald Area Office
>
> Kansas City Area Office
>
> Miamisburg Area Office