# Presentation: 544923

## Slide 1

##   Tritium - what is it?

**  ****How does it behave?**

-   **What are the benefits and hazards?**

**  ****How do we control it?**

## Radiological Training for Tritium Facilities

- Objectives

**IDENTIFY the following properties of  tritium**

**physical/chemical**

**radioactivity**

**IDENTIFY sources of tritium**

**natural**

**by-product**

**weapons**

**IDENTIFY uses of tritium**

**weapons applications**

**research**

**fusion energy production**

**industrial/commercial**

## Objectives

**(Continued)**

**IDENTIFY modes of tritium exposure**

**inhalation**

**ingestion**

**absorption**

**injection/wounds**

**IDENTIFY biological effects of tritium**

**biological half-life**

**dose**

**IDENTIFY radiological control methods for tritium**

**engineered**

**administrative**

**surface contamination limits**

**personal protective equipment**

**application of ALARA principles**

## Objectives

**(Continued)**

**IDENTIFY methods for monitoring tritium**

**air sampling for worker safety**

**contamination surveys**

**bioassay**

**IDENTIFY tritium waste minimization and**

**handling procedures**

**IDENTIFY alarms and proper response to **

**abnormal conditions in the tritium facility**

## Outline

**Properties of tritium**

**Sources and uses of tritium**

**Modes of exposure and biological effects of **

**tritium**

**Radiological controls for tritium**

**Monitoring for tritium**

**Tritium waste minimization and handling**

**Response to abnormal condition in the tritium **

**facility**

**Lessons learned**

**Summary and Review**

## What is Tritium?

**Properties of Tritium**

**H-3**

## All hydrogen atoms have one proton (H)

**Electron**

##                                  The number of neutrons may vary 

**            ****ISOTOPES of hydrogen**

- Protium H

- Deuterium D

- Tritium T

- No neutrons

- 1 neutron

- 2 neutrons

**H**

**D**

**T**

**n**

**n**

**n**

## T or H-3 or   H

**T or H-3 or   H**

**3**

**1**

## Tritium can easily substitute for protium (H)

**Normal Hydrogen Gas**

**Tritiated Gas**

**Tritium Gas**

**H**

**2**

**HT**

**TT or T**

**2**

## Tritium behaves just like hydrogen

**Normal Water**

**Tritiated Water**

**H  O**

**2**

**HTO**

## Tritium can form organic compounds

- C

- 6

- H

- 12

- +T

- 2

-  "Benzene"     C

- 6

- H

- 11

- T+HT or

- CH

- 4

- +T

- 2

-  "Methane"     CH

- 3

- T+HT

## Tritium can be captured in metallic compounds called 

**"Hydrides" and then released by heating**

**Heat**

## Hydrogen/tritium gas may be flammable

## Hydrogen/tritium gas is lighter than air

## Hydrogen/tritium gas rapidly disperses in air

**Hydrogen/tritium gas rapidly disperses in air**

## Hydrogen/tritium gas and tritiated water penetrates through 

**most materials, including gloves**

## Tritium decays by emitting a weak beta 

**particle**

- Beta

- Stopped By

- 1/4 Inch of Air

## The radioactive half-life of tritium is

**12.3 years**

- 0

- 12.3

- 24.6

- 36.9

- 49.2       Years

## Fusion of hydrogen and other light element 

**isotopes fuels the stars**

## Slide 22

## Tritium is produced naturally by cosmic rays 

**and is carried to the earth's surface by rain**

**World inventory of natural tritium from cosmic ray **

**interactions is approximately 70 million curies.**

- 4 million curies (approximately 0.41 kg)

- produced per year

## Tritium is formed in reactors by ternary 

**Nuclear reactors**

**1 million curies per year**

**1-2 million curies per year**

**-**

**-**

**Tritium is formed in reactors by ternary**

**fission and activation of light elements**

## Slide 25

## Tritium is used commercially in a variety of 

**products**

- Illuminating Signs

- Runway Lights

## Tritium is used extensively in biology and 

**medical research**

## Tritium is the fuel in 

**fusion reactions**

## Modes of Exposure

**and**

**Biological Behavior of **

**Tritium**

## Tritium is NOT an external radiation hazard-It is an internal 

**Tritium is NOT an external radiation hazard-It is an internal **

**hazard when taken into the body**

**external**

- The beta particle cannot

-  penetrate through the

- dead layer of the skin.

- Tritium is

- incorporated

- into cells.

**internal**

## Slide 31

## Tritiated water vapor is more hazardous than tritium gas, 

**as it is readily incorporated into the body**

*Exhaled*

- Tritiated water is assimilated in the body

- 20,000 times more than tritium gas

**HT**

**HT**

**HTO**

**HTO**

**HTO**

**HT**

- 99.9%

- Less than 0.1%

## Tritiated water can also be absorbed 

**through skin into body water.**

## Tritium taken into the body is distributed 

**throughout the body.**

- 1 Curie of tritiated water

- 63 rem

- 10CFR835

- establishes 5 rem/year

- as the occupational

- dose limit.

## The biological half-life of tritium 

**is about 10 days.**

- 0 Days

- 10 Days

- 20 Days

- 30 Days

- 40 Days

- 50 Days

- 100%

- 50%

- 25%

- 12.5%

- 6.25%

- 3.125%

## However, this should only be performed under medical supervision

**The elimination of tritium from the body can**

**be increased by increasing water intake**

**However, this should only be performed under medical supervision**

## Radiological Controls

- Engineered

- Administrative

- Personal Protective Equipment

**Radiological Controls**

## Engineered controls are preferred over 

**administrative ones.**

**Engineered**

**Administrative**

- Glovebox

## Larger quantities of tritium are handled in 

**engineered containment systems.**

## Airflow should be from areas of LEAST to 

**Airflow should be from areas of LEAST to **

**MOST contamination in tritium facilities**

**Building**

**Room**

**Hood**

**Glovebox**

## Access controls may also be administrative.

**Caution**

**RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS**

## Because of the permeability of tritium, large quantities

**must be handled using air supplied suits.**

## Monitoring for Tritium

## Your dosimeter is NOT used to monitor 

**tritium dose which results from assimilation **

**of tritiated water in the body.**

- Bioassay is used to

- determine tritium dose.

- TLDs are used for external

- exposure.  Tritium betas

- cannot penetrate the TLD

- case.

## Urinalysis is used to monitor for possible 

**uptakes of tritium.**

- Both:    Routine and

-             Non-Routine

## Workplace monitoring for tritium

**Monitor**

**Swipes**

- Glovebox

- Personal Air Sampler

## Area fixed air monitors and tritium sniffers 

**are used to detect tritium leaks/releases.**

- FUNCTION

- OFF

- ON

- A

- L

- A

- R

- M

- ZERO

- AIR IN

- TRITIUM uCi/m3

- 0

- 10

- PUMP

- AIR OUT

## Tritium spreads easily, therefore 

**contamination control requires constant**

**vigilance.**

*Tritium is like sand at the beach...*

*It gets into everything!*

## Tritium contamination is detected and 

**measured by taking swipes/smears.**

- Swipe/Smear

- Counting Vial

- Liquid Scintillation

- Counter

- LS

- Cocktail

## Tritium Waste Minimization

**and Handling**

**Avoid generating waste by not bringing unnecessary **

**material into the controlled area.**

**Whenever possible, avoid use of porous materials or **

**those known to be highly permeable to tritium.**

**Designate an area to store contaminated tools for reuse.**

**Plan work so that, whenever possible, construction and **

**clean maintenance can be done in a clean area.**

## Response

**to**

**Abnormal Conditions**

## Lessons Learned

## Summary and Review

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