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LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY

OF THEUNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIAo LOSALAMOS NEW MEXICO

HEALTH PHYSICS BIBLIOGRAPHY ON TRITIUM

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LEGAL NOTICE

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LAMS-2946

UC-41,HEALTH AND SAFETY

TID-4500( 26thEd.)

LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY

OF THE UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIA LOS ALAMOS NEW MEXICO

REPORT WRITTEN: July 16,1963

REPORT DISTRIBUTED: March25,1964

HEALTH PHYSICS BIBLIOGRAPHY ON TRITIUM

Compiledby

DonaldA. McKown

‘–

W-’74O5-ENG.36 withtheU. S.AtomicEnergyCommission

—

All LAIvff3 reports are informal documents, usually prepared for a special purpose and primarily prepared for use within the Laboratory rather than for

general distrihtion. This report has not baen edited, revfewed, or verified

for accuracy. All LAMS reports express the views of the authora aa of the

time they were written and do rmt necessarily reflect the opinions of the Loe

Alamos Scieatifio Laboratory or the final opinion of the authors on the subject.

1

ABSTRACT

A list of 87 papers with abstracts i.s given. The

papers were selected to cover those aspects of the subject

which would be of interest to monitoring and health physics

personnel involved in radiation protection work. A few

bibliographies are listed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT S

I wish to thank James N. P. Lawrence, Jerome E. Dummer,

Morris Engelke, and Dean D. Meyer for suggesting papers to

include i.n this list. I also wish to thank Delores Morrow

for typing and general assistance in assembling the bibliography.

5

PREFACE

There are several good triti.um bibliographies in the

literature. Some of these are quite exhaustive, listing

hundreds of papers on the broad subject of tritium while

others are limited to a narrow scope. This list is compiled

to give a short and convenient representative coverage of

those aspects of interest to personnel

protection work.

The papers were roughly scanned

involved in radiation

to determine their

suitability for this listing on the basis of the subject

covered. There is no intent to infer that the included

papers are

inferior.

The

superior nor that any which were not

titles of the papers are arbitrarily

included are

broken into

groups under 8 general headings. The headings are listed

in alphabetic order according to the significant words in

the title. All reports except three are unclassified.

7

CONTENTS

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Preface

Contents

Betas and Bremsstrahlung

Bibliographies

Chemical Behavior

Detection, Counting, and Determination Techniques

Gas Flow Proportional Counters and Geiger

Counters

Ion Chambers

Scintillation Devices and Techniques

Diffusion and Permeability in the Atmosphere and

in Materials

Dosimetry

General Tritium Problems

Physiological Aspects of Exposure

9

Page

3

5

7

9

11

14

17

23

29

43

51

63

65

70

BETAS AND

KAPL - 1086 Dorfman, L. M.

BREMSSTRAHLUNG

The Absorp tion of Tritium BetaParticles in Hydr ogen and Other Gases (March 1954) General

Electric Company, ~olls Atomic Power Laboratory, Schenectady,

New York

The absorption curves for tritium

hydrogen and helium have been determined

beta-particles in

by using a spherical

ion chamber in which the particular gas serves both as the

absorber and the ionization medium. The absorption curves

give half-thickness values of 0.031 mg/cm2 for hydrogen and

0.061 mg/cm2 for helium. From the saturation currents obtained with a given amount of tritium the relative energy

requirement per ion pair has been

helium, oxygen, and argon. These

recent values in the literature.

Kuhn, W. “Continuous Measurement

measured for hydrogen,

values are compared with

of the Concentration of

Solutions by Means of Bremsstrahlung from Low-Energy Beta

11
BETAS AND BREMSSTRAHLUNG (Continued)

Emitters. ” Chemie-Inqenieur-Technik, Vol. 32, pp. 747 - 749,

(1960)

A measuring device is described which uses tritium

adsorbed on zirconium as a !3-ray source. The resulting

Y-radiation is used for continuous absorption measurement of

solutions. A continuous display of the data is provided.

CLM/R-11 Forrest, M. J., M. Hill, and B. M. mite Film

Calibrations and AbsorP tion Curves for the X-Ray Bremsstrahlunq’

of Low Energy (5-20 KeV) Electrons (September 1961) U.K.A.E.A.

Research Group, Culham Laboratory, Culham

Film calibrations and absorption curves are presented

for the X-ray Bremsstrahlung generated by monochromatic

electrons with selected energies between 5 and 20 KeV. Results

for stainless steel and tungsten targets are given. Absorption

curves are shown for aluminum and copper absorbers using both

target materials. TWO isotope calibrations for higher energies

are also included. The results are in a form which is convenient for X-ray studies in the C. T. R. field.

12
BETAS AND BREMSSTRAHLUNG (Continued)

AERE-R-3086 Cameron, J. F., J. R. Rhodes, and p. F’. Berry

Tritium Bremsstrahlunq and Its Applications (October 1959).

Isotope Research Division, U.K.A.E.A. Research Group, Atomic

Energy Research Establishment, Harwell

Convenient sources of electromagnetic radiation in

the energy region 0-18 KeV are available in the form of tritium

absorbed in a thin layer of titanium or zirconium. These

sources emit a combination of bremsstrahlung and X-rays

characteristic of the absorbing layer. Applications of these

sources to fluorescence analysis and thickness measurement

are described.

Westermark, T., L.

Bremsstrahlung for

Organic Systems, ”

141 - 144 (1960)

Devell, and N. A. Ghanem “On the Use of

the Determination of Tritium in Aqueous and

Nuclear Instruments and Methods, Vol. 9,

The bremsstrahlung method for the determination of

beta radioactivity without gamma radiation is extended to the

case of tritium. Using cells made from light materials,

excellent results and rough agreement with theoretical estimates

13
BETAS AND BREMSSTRAHLUNG (Continued)

were obtained for water containing millicurie amounts of

tritium. Applications to self-diffusion studies on water

and labelling experiments are briefly described.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

NBS-5446 Johnson, Virginia R. A Review of the Properties of

Deuterium and Tritium Compounds. (October 1957 ) Annual

Bibliography 1955. National Bureau of Standards~ Washington~ D.C.

The references in the bibliography are arranged alphabetically according to the last name of the leading author.

Each reference is numbered by a letter number symbol corresponding, respectively, to the first letter of the leading author’s

“name and the numerical listing under that letter. The names

of co-authors are listed alphabetically and cross-indexed.

Compound and subject indexes are included for the convenience

of the reader. This bibliography contains 455 references to

published research on deuterium and tritium compounds and was

compiled entirely from volume 49 (1955) of Chemical Abstracts.

Research articles related to nuclear properties have been

14
BIBLIOGRAPHIES (Continued)

excluded, except where other pertinent information on deuterium

or tritium was reported. Also the topic of isotope effects has

been restricted primarily to the isotopes of hydrogen, whereas

the topic of isotope separation still contains references to

works on the separation of isotopes of various elements.

DP-511 (TID-4500, 17th Ed.) Feldman, Myra S. Techniques for

the Determination of Tritium, A Literature Search June 1962,

E. I. Dupont de Nemours & Co. Explosives Department -- Atomic

Energy Division Technical Division -- Savannah River Laboratory

References on the quantitative determination of tritium

were compiled and arranged in an annotated bibliography. The

references are limited to those pertinent to the instrumentation

and techniques for tritium determination.

UCRL-5069 Cason, Maggie Tritium (A Bibli oqraphy) . (March 1957 )

University of California, Livermore Radiation Laboratory

~is is a selective bibliography of books, periodicals,

articles,and technical reports relating to tritium with special

reference to urine analysis of tritium and metabolic experiments.

15
BIBLIOGRAPHIES (Continued)

Sources consulted include the library card catalog; the

information division AEC card catalog; Chemical Abstracts,

1954 to 1955: Nuclear Science Abstracts, 1955 to 1956.

AERE - Bib. 132 Foskett, A. C. Tritium Detection and Measurement A Bibliqraphy. (March 1961) . Library Information

Office, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Ha?well, Berkshire.

The bibliography contains 164 references covering

published literature and reports up to the end of 1960. Since

the very low energy (maximum 18 KeV) of the beta radiation from

tritium causes special problems in counting, references have

been selected

has been made

beta counting

which definitely refer to tritium, and no attempt

to cover the very much wider field of low-energy

in general. Where appropriate, notes have been

added to indicate the method of counting, sensitivity, range~

and efficiency.

TID-3570 Best, William E. Tritium Handlinq. A Literature

Search (December 1961) Division of Technical Information,

United States Atomic Energy Commission

16
BIBLIOGRAPHIES (Continued)

Included are 157 references to reports, journals, and

other literature related to the problems and techniques of

tritium handling. The subject scope embraces analytical

monitoring procedures and instruments, physiological effects,

and safety measures and standards.

CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR

1 HW-17318 Roesch, W. C. P-10 Chemical Equilibria (March 1950)

I

Hanford Works, Richland, Washington

Some theoretical considerations of

tium with hydrogen in water vapor and the

are discussed.

the exchange of trieffect of a catalyst

ORNL-128 Ghormley, J. A. and A. O. Allen Decomposition of

Tritium Oxide under Its Own Radiation (September 1948) Oak

Ridge National Laboratory, oak Ridge, Tennessee

The decomposition of tritium oxide by the action of

the tritium betas was investigated. Tritium water was sealed

in glass ampules and the decomposition was measured by

observing the boiling point of the contained water. The

17
CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR (Continued)

difference in decomposition caused by alpha particles, beta

particles,and gamma rays is discussed.

KAPL-900 Dorfman, L. M., and H. C. Mattraw The Exchan~e

Reaction of Hydroqen and Tritium. (April 1953 ). General

Electric Company, ~olls Atomic Power Laboratory, Schenectady,

New York

The rate of the hydrogen-tritium exchange reaction

H2 + T2 = 2HT

initiated by the tritium beta-radiation has been investigated

at room temperature using a mass spectrometer as the analytical

instrument. The runs cover a pressure range of 59.0 to 399.9 mm

with tritium pressures between 33.2 and 147.7 mm.

The progress of the reaction may be represented

equation:

HT. - HTt = HTOe

-kt

where HT and HT. denote the concentrations of tritium

t

by the

hydride

at time t and at equilibrium; k is a constant. The initial

rate of exchange has been calculated from

d HTt

()

=k~m

dt t=o

18
CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR (Continued)

Over the conditions studied, half times ranging from 260 to

818 minutes have been obtained.

The fraction of the beta energy absorbed has been estimated, and G values as high as 450 molecules/100 ev have

been obtained indicating the reaction to be a chain process.

Correlation of the data shows that the initial rate of formation of HT is directly proportional to the product of the

pressure and the square root of the absorbed intensity.

Dorfman, Leon M., and B. A. Hemmer. “Ion-Pair Yield of the

Tritium-Oxygen Reaction,” The Journal of Chemical Physics,

Vol. 22, No. 9, 1555-1558. (September 1954 )

The rate of reaction of tritium and oxygen, initiated

by the tritium beta radiation, has been investigated at 25° C,

in the absence of mercury vapor, by using a sensitive Bourdon

gauge as the manometer. The rate is not linear with time,

but shows a small continual decrease as the reaction proceeds.

The initial reaction rate was found to be directly proportional

to the tritium pressure, and hence proportional to the radiation

intensity.

19
CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR (Continued)

It was independent of the oxygen concentration over

the range investigated. The reaction rate shows a slight

dependence on the isotopic composition of the hydrogen reactant,

tending to rise with increase in the mole fraction of protium.

The initial reaction rate may be represented

RO = 1.19 X 10 -1 CT2 @ + 0.3~>

by

where CT

2

is the tritium concentration in moles/liter or other

absolute concentration units, and ~ is the mole fraction of

protium in the hydrogen reactant. On the basis of a requirement of 33 ev per ion pair in the reactant mixture, the initial

ion-pair

(M/N). =

Material

peroxide

Progress

Staff, P.

yield for tritium disappearance or water formation is

3.2 for the reaction of pure tritium with oxygen.

balance measurements indicate that little or no

appears in the product.

Report USNRDL-P-22 (Report Classified) Scientific

C. Tompkins, Scientific Director Quarterly Pr ogress

Report (1 Jan to 31 March 1960) pp. 174 - 175 (Pages cited

unclassified) “Self Induced Radiolysis Reactions of Tritium

in Air” U. S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory,

20
CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR (Continued)

San Francisco, California

Progress Report USNRDL-P-23 (Report Classified) Scientific

Staff, E. P. Cooper, Scientific Director Quarterly Progress

Report (1 April to 30 June 1960) pp. 258 - 259 (Pages cited

unclassified) “Self Induced Radiolysis Reactions of Tritium

in Air” U. S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San

Francisco, California

USNRDL-TR-565 Casaletto, G. J. , L. H. Gevantman, J. B. Nash

The Self-Radiation Oxidation of Tritium in Oxyg en and Air,

(May 1962). U. S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory,

San Francisco 24, California

The rate of self-radiation oxidation of tritium has been

studied in atmospheres of oxygen and air by direct analysis

of products as a function of time.

Second-order dependence on tritium concentration was

observed below 1 me/ml. Rate constants were determined to be

1.2 x 10

-3 -3 ml/mc-hr in oxygen and 0.62 x 10 ml/mc-hr in dry

air.

21
CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR (Continued)

The reaction rate was found to be independent of

oxygen concentration and surface area at constant total pressures above 100 mm but to drop off sharply below this value.

The rate in oxygen is increased threefold in the

presence of water vapor. The rate in atmospheric air, although

poorly reproducible, is essentially the same as in dry air.

USNRDL-TR-471 Yang, J. Y., and L. H. Gevantman Tritium

!3-Radiation-Induced Isotopic Exchange in the T2*20 System

(September 1960) U. S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory

San Francisco 24, California

The conversion of tritium to tritiated water through

its B-radiation-induced isotopic exchange with water vapor

was investigated. It was found that, under simulated normal

atmospheric conditions with tritium concentration in the

range of 0.05 to 0.7 c/1, the rate of conversion of tritium

to tritiated water is independent of the water vapor density.

On the other hand, a second order dependency on the initial

tritium concentration was observed. The isotopic exchange

rate, R, expressed in me/l/day may be approximated by the

22
CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR (Continued )

following equation:

R= 4 x 10-5 (T2 ):

where (T2)0 is the initial tritium concentration in me/l.

Results from X irradiation of the reaction mixture

indicate that the exchange rate is essentially proportional

to radiation absorption. Lowering of the reaction rate by

dilution of tritium with protium was observed. The presence

of a number of moderating gases was found to exert a small but

apparently significant effect on the reaction rate. To account

for the marked inhibiting effect of nitric oxide, a reaction

mechanism involving radical intermediates is proposed.

DETECTION, COUNTING,AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

GAS FLOW PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS AND

Christman, David R.

Betas”, Nucleonics,

For counting

“Choosing a Method

Vol. 19, No. 5., 51

GEIGER COUNTERS

for Counting Soft

- 55 & 64, (May 1961)

14 35 the soft betas of C , S , or tritium

you will use a solid counter, gas counter, ionization chamber

or scintillator. Here are some criteria that will help you

choose among them.

23
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

GAS FLOW PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS AND GEIGER COUNTERS (Continued)

Mon H - 448 Firminhac, R. H. Conversion of Air Proportional

Counter Alpha Detection Instruments (“POPPY”) to Detect C

14

Contamination and Soft Beta Radiation. (January 1947 ),

Monsanto Chemical Co., Clinton Laboratories, Oak Ridge,

Tennessee

Alteration of the air proportional counters usually

used for survey for alpha contamination, to detect soft beta

radiation is described. This consists mainly of changing the

gas used in the counter tube and changing the high voltage

supply .

Rydberg, Jan “Determination of the Absolute Activity of Solid

Tritium Samples”, Acts Chemica Scandinavia, Vol. 12, 399 - 407

(1958)

It is shown that the absolute specific beta activity

of tritium in solid samples of finite thickness can be accurately determined with 2 internal gas-flow counters. The effects

of self-absorption and back-scattering of tritium betas are

discussed.

24
DETECTION, COUNTING,AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

GAS FLOW PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS AND GEIGER COUNTERS (Continued)

LA-1645 McClelland, Jean and Morris F. Milligan Determination

of Tritium in Urine and Water. (March 1954). Los Alamos

Scientific Laboratory of the University of California, Los

Alamos, New Mexico

The sample, water or urine, is prepared for counting

in a vacuum line. Urine or water is dropped onto metallic

calcium, and hydqogen and tritium are evolved. The gas flowing into the evacuated system is passed through liquid nitrogen

cooled traps to remove unreacted water and condensable gases.

The gas is allowed to flow into a tube similar to a GeigerMuller tube until a pressure of 15 cm of mercury is attained.

Ethylene and argon are added to give a total pressure of 22 cm

of mercury. The beta activity is counted with a scaling

circuit having an input sensitivity of # volt. A tube similarly filled with inert hydrogen is counted simultaneously to

determine the environmental background. The background count

is subtracted from the sample count to obtain the true sample

count.

The method has a precision of 5% in the range of 1 to

25
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

GAS FLOW PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS AND GEIGER COUNTERS (Continued)

250 MC of tritium per liter of sample. Samples with higher

concentrations may be determined with appropriate dilutions.

An experienced operator can do approximately 50 determinations

per day. The tolerance used at LASL for tritium in urine is

250 uc/liter.

AERE-R-3092 Cameron, J. F., and B. J. Puckett Geiqer Gas

Counting Methods of Assayinq Tritiated Hydrogen and Triti.ated

Water.

Research

(January 1960) .

Group, Wantage

Isotope Research Division, U. K. A. Ee A.

Radiation Laboratory, Berkshire

Methods are described of assaying tritium in hydrogen,

water vapor, butane and acetylene as part of the filling of a

self-quenching geiger counter and it is concluded that the

most satisfactory filling is tritiated hydrogen with toluene

as a quenching vapor. Absolute measurements on tritiated

water are carried out by reducing the water over zinc at 425° C

and introducing the hydrogen into a counter with a known

sensitive volume.

26
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

GAS FLOW PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS AND GEIGER COUNTERS (Continued)

DP-34 Karraker, D. G. A Monitor for Surface Adsorbed Tritium

(December 1953 ) E. I. du Pent de Nemours & Co. (Inc.), Explosives Department - Atomic Energy Division Technical Division -

Savannah River Laboratory

A monitor for detection of surface-adsorbed tritium

beta particles has been developed. The detecting element is

a windowless Geiger tube with the counting gas flowing through

it. The normal limit of detection of a single-tube probe

800 d/m of tritium, while a three-tube probe is probably

limited to about 2000 d/m. Both probes have a counting

efficiency of about 1(EA for tritium.

is

Wolfgang, Richard, and C. F. Mackay “New Proportional Counters

for Gases and Vapors”, Nucleonics, Vol. 16, No. 10, 69 - 73

(October 1958)

New proportional-counter designs simplify this inherently

14 3

sensitive tool for assay of C and H and extend its use to

gas-flow applications. Comparison is made with the sensitivity

and convenience of other systems.

27
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND

GAS FLOW PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS

Isbell, Horace, S., Harriet L.

DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

AND GEIGER COUNTERS (Continued)

Frush, and Ruth A. Peterson

“Tritium-Labeled Compounds I. Radioassay of Tritium-Labeled

Compounds in ‘Infinitely Thick’ Films With a Windowless, GasFlow, Proportional Counter”, Journal of Research of the National

Bureau of Standards - A. Physics and Chemistry, Vol. 63A, No. 2,

171 - 175 (September - October 1959)

A simple, sensitive and reliable technique has been

devised

tritium

for the radioassay of non

compounds. The substance

volatile, water-soluble

to be analyzed is dissolved

in an aqueous solution of a thickening agent, preferably

sodium O-(carboxymethyl) cellulose or sodium alginate. The

solution k placed in a shallow planchet, and after evaporation of the water, the resulting film, which

thick” to tritium beta particles, i.s counted

dowless, gas-flow, proportional counter. By

is “infinitely

with a 2Tr, winmeans of an

empirical factor, determined with a substance of known radioactivity, the counts are converted to micro-curies. In a

having a thickness of 0.7 mg/cm2, the counting efficiency

about 4 percent; the standard deviation from the mean,

28

film

is
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND

GAS FLOW PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS

DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

AND GEIGER COUNTERS (Continued)

obtained in a series of routine measurements, was less than

2 percent. An assay can readily be made with tritium-containing

material

which is

tions or

having 0.01 microcurie of radioactivity. The method,

applicable to nonvolatile, water-soluble solids, SOIUliquids, is suitable for routine analyses.

Driver, G. E., “Txiti.um Survey Instruments”. The Review of

Scientific Instruments, Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 300 - 303 (May 1$356)

Portable counters for the detection of surface and air

tritium contamination are described. The surface monitor uses

a sponge rubber seal to the surface with an argon-methane

counting mixture being admitted during measurements. The air

monitor mixes methane with the air before counting, and 1s

capable of detecting a tri.tium concentration of 10 -5

me/cc of

air.

DETECTION, COUNTING,AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS

Shaw, D. F., “An Automatic Monitor for Measuring Tritium

29
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND

ION CHAMBERS

DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

(Continued)

Contamination in Air”, Journal of Scientific Instruments,

Vol. 32, pp. 178 - 180 (May 1955)

This paper describes the design and principle of

operation of an automatic monitor for testing air for contamination by tritium. The method of detection is based on the

measurement of ionization in an air sample. A direct reading

meter registers the level of radioactivity and provision is

made for operating a recorder. The instrument was developed

to test for tritium contamination but may be used to detect

14

other airborne radioactive gasest e.g.~ C02 or radon.

AERE-M-429 Fry, R. M. The Calibration of Flow Ionization

Chambers for Tritium Monitoring in Air. (August 1959) Health

Physics Division, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell,

Berkshire

A stream of air of known tritium (HTO) concentration

is obtained by mixing dry air and air saturated with HTO vapor

in known proportions.

This has been used to calibrate ion chambers for the

30
DETECTION, COUNTING,AND

ION CHAMBERS

monitoring of tritium in air.

DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

(Continued)

Particular attention is paid

to the 1590A, a chamber designed at A.EOROE. Harwell, and

limitations in its use as an air monitor due to adsorption of

HTO are briefly discussed.

LA-1683 Eutsler, B. C., R. N. Mitchell, and M. C. Robbins

Calibration of Tritium Monitoring Devices. (June 1954).

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of California,

Los Alamos, New Mexico

The increased use of tritium monitoring devices has

made it necessary to devise a scheme for the calibration of

such instruments. Several methods for setting up known concentrations of tritium were considered. A dynamic system

containing tritium as HTO vapor or gaseous HT was selected

because of the ease of control of variables. The variables

that have been considered are:

1.

2.

The effect of

instruments.

The effect of

rate of air flow through the

humidity on instrument response.

31
DETECTION, COUNTJ.NG,AND DETEPNINATION TECHNICCES

ION CHAMBERS (Cont;nut’d)

3.

4.

5.

chamber.

The variation of “hold time” from the generation

of tritium to its passage through the ion

chamber.

The instrument response to several concentrations

of tri.ti.umas HTO vapor and gaseous HT.

The following

been calibrated:

1. Model

three types of monitoring devices have

101 Sniffer of Group P-1.

2. CI-1 Vibrating Reed Electrometer of Group CMR-7.

3. Modified TIB of Group H-6.

Brhkerhoff, J., C. A. Ziegler, R. Bersin, and D. J. Chleck

“Continuous Air Monitor for H3”, Nucleonics, Vol. 17, No. 2,

PP. 76, 78, 81 (February 1959 )

A continuous monitor has been developed capable of

accurately indicating tritium concentrations of 0.1 - 100 times

the maximum permissible concentration, with an estimated error

32
,

DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

over the range not exceeding f 5%. The instrument uses a

flow type ionization chamber. By means of a filter and ionsweeper system, it is unresponsive to airborne sources of

ionization other than radioactive gases. The theory of operation

is discussed.

LA-1270 Deal, James B., Jr. Continuous Tritium Monitor.

(February 1951 ) Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the

University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

An instrument developed to continuously detect and

measure the amount of tritium in the atmosphere consists of a

Model 30 Vibrating Reed Electrometer manufactured by the

Applied Physics Corporation and a Model CI-1 Ionization

chamber designed for use with this electrometer.

An electric fan continuously sucks room air first

through a filter element, then through an ionization chamber.

Except for the particles removed by the filter element the

air sample inside the ionization chamber is identical to the

air in the room.

33
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

The chamber has been calibrated by calculation. A

tolerance concentration of tritium with an average Beta

energy of 6 Kev i.n the one liter chamber will yield an ionization current of about 2.4 x 10

-15

amperes. With the electro-

-13

meter sensitivity set at 10 amperes full scale this reading

will then be about 2.4% of full scale.

DP-150 Ryder, F. D. An Explosion Resistent Ion Chamber for

the Measurement of Tritium (March 1960) E. I. du Pent de

Nemours & Co. Explosives Department - Atomic Energy Division

Technical Division-- Savannah River Laboratory

An ion chamber was constructed to monitor gaseous

tritium h hydrogen-oxygen mixtures that have a high relative

humidity and that might fall within the explosive limits. In

calibration

water vapor

tests the ion chamber responded linearly to tritiated

-5 -4

in air, at concentrations from 10 to 10 microcurie per cubic centimeter. The chamber withstood deliberate

internal explosion without detectable damage.

LA-1909 Eutsler, B. C., G. L. Evans, R. D. Hiebert,

34
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

R. N. Mitchell, Chain Robbins, and R. J. Watts Instruments

for the Monitoring of Tritium in the Atmosphere. (April 19S5)

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of California

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Three types of instruments, all operating on the same

principle, are described. These are a battery operated type,

an AC operated linear type, and an AC operated logarithmic

type.

The current from a conductivity type chamber is monitored

by a simple electrometer tube circuit. A warning bell is rung

by means of sensitrol relay when ionization in the atmosphere

produces a full scale reading. These instruments are intended

for special situations where the environment can be controlled

to some extent. They will respond to ionization arising from

any source. A full scale reading on the most sensitive scale

-12 is equivalent to a current of 10 amp in the chamber.

Curves are given of the behavior of this type of instrument with flow rate, tritium concentration, equilibrium time,

voltage ion traps, and tritium in the form of HT and HTO.

35
DETECTION, COUNTING,AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued )

It is concluded that these instruments are satisfactory

as warning devices but are of doubtful value as health tolerance

meters.

HW-SA-2413 Little, G. A. Ionization Chamber Air Samplinq

System for Tri.tium (May 1962 ) General Electric Co., Hanford

Atomic Products Operation, Ri.chland, Washington

A rapid inexpensive air sampling system was devised

-8 which will detect one MPC (5 x 10 uc/cc) of tritium oxide

in air. The system uses a one-liter ionization chamber for a

sample collecti.ng-measuri.ng chamber and an ioni.zati.on chamber

pulse reader for sample actlvi.ty

system is f 257.. Concentrations

measurements. Accuracy of the

-6

of 5 x 10 uc/cc of tritium

in air were measured, with results available in less than one

hour after sample collection. The system has been h routine

operation for several months. It has been reliable, and is

faster than other available methods for triti.um air sampling.

The system has also been used for air sampling for other

gaseous radio-isotopes.

36
DETECTION, COUNTING,AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

UCRL-3499 Tolbert, B. M., Ionization Chamber Assay of

Radioactive Gases. (March 1956 ) University of California

Radiation Laboratory, Berkeley

A

assay of

practical review is

radioactive gases.

presented on ionization chamber

The subjects covered include:

Ion chamber theory, samples and sample preparation, combustion

of organic compounds to CO , design and construction of ion

2

chambers, measurement of ion chamber currents and approximate

calibration data, and detailed procedure for C

14 and tritium

assay.

CRRD-858 AECL-1049 Cowper, G. and S. D.

for Airborne Tritium (July 1960) Atomic

Limited, Chalk River, Ontario

Simpson A Monitor

Energy of Canada

A monitor has been designed which is suitable for the

measurement of concentrations of tritium in air in the presence

of a fluctuating background of gamma radiation. It is therefore suitable for the measurement of the tritium hazard in the

vicinity of a heavy water reactor. Whereas a simple ionization

chamber through which ambient air is circulated would give

37
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

equal response to a maximum permissible concentration of

tritium and an external gamma radiation field of only

0.25 mr/hr, this apparatus using a pair of compensated ion

chambers operates satisfactorily in gamma radiation fields

of several milli-roentgens per hour without the use of

shielding.

AERE-M-428 Fry, R. M. Monitorinq of D.O for Tritium Contam6

ination (July 1959) Health Physics Division, U. K. A. E. A.

Research Group, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell

A simple and rapid method for monitoring drums of D20

for tritium contamination is described. DTO vapour above the

heavy water surface is transferred to an ion chamber, the

resulting ion current being a measure of the specific activity

of the D20. The apparatus described can detect concentrations

of 0.1 uc/gm.

Hey, J. E. “Operational Experience with Kanne Ionization

Chambers”, Health Physics, Vol 6, pp. 203 - 210 (1961)

38
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

TECHNIQUES

Operating experience with two types of Kanne ionization

chambers is described. These chambers are used to monitor

gaseous radioactive El-emitting contaminants released during

the operation of heavy-water moderated reactors at the Savannah

River Plant. Calibration results, Y sensitivity, the effects

of El-energy on chamber sensitivity, and the effects of such

variables as temperature, pressure and humidity on the operation

characteristics of these chambers are discussed.

LA-1894 Eutsler, B. C., M. C. Robbins, and R. Hiebert A Portable

Apparatus for the Determination of Tritium in Body Fluids and

Aqueous Solutions (April 1955) Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

of the University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

This report supersedes LA-1678.

A small apparatus of adequate sensitivity and more

portable than that described in Report LA-1678 has been

developed for the determination of tritium in body fluids and

aqueous solutions. The entire system is adaptable to operation

by untrained personnel.

39
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

The small glass vacuum manifold and ionization chamber

are evacuated by means of water aspiration and filled to

atmospheric pressure with a mixture of hydrogen-tritium gas.

The hydrogen-tritium mixture is evolved by dropping a liquid

(sputum, urine, blood, or water) onto metallic calcium and

passing the gas through a drying column filled with indicating

Drierite. The current produced by the beta activity within the

ionization chamber is measured with either an Applied Physics

Corporation Vibrating Reed Electrometer or a battery powered

ionization chamber current meter designed by Los Alamos Scientific

Laboratory. The method has a range of 10 to 10,000 wc of

tritium per liter of liquid, depending upon the size of the

ionization chamber and the measuring instrument.

Anthony, J. D. “Portable Tritium Monitor Has Gamma Compensation”,

Nucleonics, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 110, 112, 114 (April 1959)

A tritium monitor is designed on the same air-sampling

principle used in the Los Alamos Model 101 Sniffer and the

Tracerlab Tritium-Flow Monitor. But it has an additional gammacompensation chamber.

40
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

DP-242 Colvin, D. W. A Simple Monitor for Tritium Contamination on Surfaces (October 1957) E. I. du Pent de Nemours &

Co., Savannah River Laboratory

Surface contamination by tritium was measured with an

open-end ionization chamber that was operated as a dosimeter.

The chamber could detect 12,000 d/m of tritium with a signalto-noise ratio of ten.

Ziegler, C. A., and A. Schwebel “Technique for Monitoring

Tritiated-Water Vapor in Air” Nucleonics, Vol. 15, No. 1, 64

(1957 )

A method for the determination of HTO concentration in

air is described utilizing a 250 cm3 ionization chamber with a

vibrating-reed electrometer. The ionization chamber was calibrated by filling with known concentrations of HTO vapor in

air and measuring the resulting electrometer drift rate.

Rieck, H. G., I. T. Myers, and R. F. Palmer “A Tritiated

Water Standard” Radiation Research, Vol. 4, pp. 451 - 466

(1956)

41
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

ION CHAMBERS (Continued)

A tritiated water sample has been prepared and its

activity determined by three different independent methods.

This sample is now in use as a standard. The error in the

final activity is estimated to be 2%. Considerable care was

taken throughout the standardization measurements in order to

reduce isotope effects of tritium adsorption on apparatus

surfaces.

AERE-HP/R-2858 Fry, R. M. Tritium in Urine Monitoring by the

Acetylene Flow Ion Chamber Method (July 1959) U. K. A. E. A.

Research Group Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell,

Berkshire

Using a 2 litre ion chamber enclosed in a 2“ lead

castle and a stable vibrating reed electrometer, the limit of

detection of an acetylene flow method of measuring tritium in

aqueous solutions has been found to be 0.001 Uc/ml.’ Concentrations of 0.005 uc/ml can be measured to a relative accuracy

of about flO?? in a quarter of an hour. Commercial acetylene

is used as the flushing gas and for background determination.

42
DETECTION, COUNTING,AND

ION CHAMBERS

DETERMINATION

(Continued)

TECHNIQUES

Radon present in the calcium

zero error.

DETECTION, COUNTING,AND

carbide introduces a constant

DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

Langham, W. H., W. J. Eversole, F. N. Hayes, and T. T. Trujillo,

“Assay of Tritium Activity in Body Fluids with Use of a Liquid

Scintillation System”, Journal of Laboratory and Clinical

Medicine, Vol. 47, No. 5, pp. 819 - 825 (May 1956 )

Simple and rapid methods have been developed for the

determination of tritium water (HTO) in mammalian serum and

urine . Mean recovery values obtained for tritiated blood

serum and

the error

In

urine were at least 97% of the expected values and

was relatively small (>3 percent) .

order to obtain consistent and reliable values for

tritium activity, it was necessary to remove proteins and

pigments from all samples. In human serum this was accomplished

by the use of trichloracetic acid. Rat serum did not contain

enough pigments to make decolonization necessary. Urine was

43
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TEcHNIQUES (CONTINUED)

decolonized by filtration through activated charcoal, and

cleared urine was added directly to the scintillation solution.

After centrifugation and decanting, the clear supernatant solutions

chilled

were placed in optically clear glass counting bottles,

for one hour at 2 to 3° C., and counted.

These procedures were shown to be applicable to the

Study

human

of water absorption and distribution studies in a normal

using HTO.

Horrocks, Donald L. and Martin H. Studier, “Dete~ination of

the Absolute Disintegration Rates of Low Energy Beta Emitters

in a Liquid Scintillation Spectrometer”. Analytical Chemistry,

Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 615 - 620 (April 1961)

Integral counting techniques using a liquid scintillation

spectrometer for the determination of the absolute disintegration

35, C14

rate of 6-emitters have been extended to the isotopes S f

Sm151 63 106 241 3

, Ni , Ru , Pu , and H . Experimental results are

compared with those expected from the theory of B decay and the

statistical probabilities of scintillation counting. If the

44
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED)

shape of the P spectrum is known, the absolute disintegration

rate can be determined by integral counting and comparison of

the extrapolated integral counting rates for single channel

and coincidence systems. Some practical factors involved in

obtaining a system with a high counting efficiency for low

energy 9 emitters are discussed. The liquid scintillation

spectrometer is shown to be stable, and can determine very

small amounts of low energy 13emitters.

Butler, Frank E. “Determination of Tritium in Water and Urine

(Liquid Scintillation Counting and Rate-of-Drift Determination).”

Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 33, No. 3, 411 - 414 (March 1961)

Two methods are presented for the accurate determination

of tritium in urine and water. One method,

counting utilizes an improved scintillation

liquid scintillation

mixture and disposable, low background, poly-ethylene vials. Untreated

urine samples are assayed at tritium levels of 1 MC per liter

after a l-minute count. The lower limit of detection of

tritium in water is 0.005 wc per liter, and 0.05 uc per liter

can be determined with a relative standard deviation of less

45
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED)

than 10% after a 30-minute counting period. Results are comparable with the second method of tritium determination, using

a vibrating reed electrometer rate-of-drift determination.

The vibrating reed procedure requires less expensive equipment

and is suitable for analyzing 4 to 6 samples per day.

AERE R-3605 Hutchinson, W. P. The Identification of Beta

Emittinq Isotopes by Liquid Scintillation Countinq. (October

1960) . Medical Division, U.K.A.E.A.t Research Group, Atomic

Energy Research Establishment, Ha?n?ell

The average energy of a beta-emitting isotope, in miCromicrocurie amounts, may be measured at room temperature by

means of the system described. The apparatus is useful for

rapid quantitative routine analysis of beta-emitters required

for biological purposes.

The spectrometer which is briefly described is a simplified apparatus using standard Harwell equipment.

AERE R-3238 Hutchinson, W. P. Liquid Scintillation Counting

of Tritium at 22° C. (January 1960). Medical Division, U.K.A.E.A.

46
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED)

Research Group, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell.

0.001 uc fl(l% of tritium may be quantitatively estimated

at room temperature. TWO photomultiplier tubes are used

working in coincidence.

Roucayrol, Jean-Claude, Eric Oberhauser and Richard Schussler

“Liquid Scintillators in Filter Paper -- A New Detector”,

Nucleonics, Vol. 15, No. 11, pp. 104, 106, 108 (November 1957)

A convenient inexpensive scintillation method of assay for

soft beta emitters on filter papers has been developed in which

the papers are impregnated with a liquid scintillator and

pressed against the end of the photomultiplier. A means of

differentiation between different beta emitters is discussed

as well as the effect of different papers.

AERE R-3716 Sandalls, J. A Method for Routine Determinations

of Tritium in Urine Using a Coincidence Liquid Scintillation

Counter. (June 1961) Medical Division, U.K.A.E.A. Research

Group, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell

47
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED)

A sensitive and wide range method for the routine

measurement of tritium in urine is described.

Urine, distilled in the presence of toluene, is assayed

for tritium

1“ diameter

content by a liquid scintillation technique. TWO

matched E. M. I. type 9524 S/A photomultiplier

tubes are connected through coincidence and discriminator

units to a standard amplifier and scaler. The liquid scintillation counting is carried out at room temperature.

A tritium concentration of 1 x 10

-3 we/ml in urine

gives about 160 counts per minute above a background of about

170 counts per minute. The counting efficiency is 7%. The

absolute limit of detection of the method for tritium in urine

-4

is about 1.6 x 10. we/ml, on the basis of two standard deviations.

UCLA 504 Myers, L. S., Jr., and Cynthia Rosenblum A Rapid

Method for Determining Tritium Water in Urine Following Acute

Exposure. (May 1962 ) University of California, Los Angeles

School of Medicine, Los Angeles 24, California

HTO in the urine of exposed individuals can be determined

48
DETECI’ION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED)

within minutes after receipt of samples by use of a

detergent-anthracene-scintillation counting method. The

procedure consists merely of pipetting an aliquot of the

sample onto detergent coated anthracene in a counting vial

and counting in a liquid scintillation counter. Reproducibility, stability, and sensitivity are adequate to give

reliable results with tritium concentrations well below the

maximum permissible level of 28 we/l. Yellow pigments

decrease the counting efficiency according to Beer’s law,

and must be removed if a highly accurate analysis is required.

However, for most bioassay purposes a correction based on

an optical density measurement will give satisfactory

results.

Boyce, 1. S., J. F. Cameron, and K. J. Taylor ‘“A Simple

Plastic Scintillation Counter for Tritiated Hydrogen”,

The International Journal of APP lied Radiation and Isotopes,

Vol. 9, 122 - 123 (1960)

49
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES (cO~INUED)

A plastic scintillation detector was designed to

measure the tritium content of hydrogen coming from a

palladium chromatography column.

Hodgson, T. S., B. E. Gordon and M. E. Ackerman “SingleChannel Counter for Carbon-14 and Tritium” , Nucleonics,

Vol. 16, No. 7, pp. 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, and 94 (July 1958)

M economical, room-temperature liquid scintillation

counter was designed that is capable of counting carbon-14

activities of 10 cpm above background. Careful photomultiplier

selection also provides adequate efficiency and stability

for tritium assay. I

Jeffries, T. O., “A Tritium Monitor”, Journal of SCieIItifi.C

Instruments, Vol. 30, pp. 387 - 388 (October 1953)

A monitor which has been developed for recording

continuously the tritium concentration in low pressure gas

targets (containing about 2 U. of tritium) is described in

50 I
DETECTION, COUNTING, AND DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES

SCINTILLATION DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED)

this note. The monitor consists of an E. M. I. type 6260

photomultiplier with a thallium activated potassium iodide

phospher, in the form of a thin screen, mounted in contact

with the glass window. The end of the multiplier is sealed

into a chamber of fixed volume which is connected to the

target by means of a flexible tube.

DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS

TID-12350 Nussbaum, Elmer Diffusion of Radon Throuqh SemiPermeable Materials (Technical Progress Report). (March

1961) Taylor University, Upland, Indiana

Experiments have been conducted to investigate the

rate at which radon is diffused through sheets of rubber

vulcanates, plastic films and papers. A program has also

been initiated to utilize tritium to study the transmission

rate of this gas through similar semi-permeable materials.

51
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED)

It is seen that the diffusion of radon through

silicone rubbers proceeds at a rate six to eight times as

fast as the diffusion of tritium through the same material

(based on the time required for 30% transmission). It is

of particular interest that tritium, an isotope of the

lightest element diffuses through silicone rubbers more

slowly than does radon which is the heaviest of the inert

gases.

It is of further interest that tritium diffuses

through some semi-permeable materials at a rate which

exceeds that of radon. For example, five layers of wax

paper will permit the transmission of 18% of the radon in

35 minutes while experiments currently

that 36% of the tritium is transmitted

material in the same time.

in progress

through the

indicate

same

Future experiments may shed further light upon the

specific requirements of a material to serve as an

52
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (co~INuED )

effective barrier to tritium.

Hosler, E. R., J. F. Chivot, P. J. Korpi, and J. W.

Westwater “Diffusion of Water Vapor in Plastic Laminates”,

Journal of Chemical and Enqineerinq Data, Vol. 5, No. 2

(April 1960)

Diffusivities in each of the three principal

directions were determined separately from unidirectional

diffusion tests for three different phenol-formaldehyde

plastic laminates. Two of these laminates were paper base

and one was cloth base. The cloth base sample was more

permeable than the two paper base samples. The effect is

most pronounced for the directions parallel to the

laminations. Some theoretical considerations are discussed.

Ayer, J. E., R. M. Mayfield, and

Engineering Aspects of the Water

D. R.

Vapor

Schmitt “The

Permeability of Glove

Materials” , Nuclear Science and ‘Enqineerinq, Vol. 8, 274 -

276 (1960)

53
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED)

Gloveboxes are frequently used for the protection of

personnel and containment of an inert atmosphere within

which operations upon pyrophoric or physiologically hazardous

materials are performed. Leakage or diffusion of water

vapor through gross leaks or through gloves may necessitate

purification of the inert atmosphere. Since the required

capacity of the purification system involves a summation

of in-leakage from all sources, quantitative information on

the role of the glove as a contributing factor is of

importance . This paper is intended to indicate the

engineering application of an investigation into the role

of the permeability of glove materials.

Water vapor permeability through various glove

materials has been determined mathematically as a function

of film thickness, partial pressure of water vapor

differential across the film, film surface area, and the

permeability constants for a particular “compound.”

54
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN ~TERIALS (cONTINuED)

Calculations indicate that a sample glove exposed to air

at 75° F and 50% relative humidity on one surface and to a

very low humidity on the other side will contribute 0.22 g

of water vapor per day to a glovebox system. The same

glove in use by an operator will contribute up to 2.8 g of

water per day due to the increased partial pressure of

water vapor differential between the two glove surfaces.

These calculations allow the quantitative determination of

water permeation through gloves and its effect upon the

desired purity or operating dew point of the protective

atmosphere system and its purification equipment.

DP-528 Symonds, A. E. Evaluation of Plastic Films for

Protective Suiting. (Nov. 1960) Savannah River Plant,

E. I. du Pent de Nemours and Company, Aiken, South Carolina

Four films, polyethylene, “Saran”, “Saran”- PVC, and

polyvinyl chloride were tested for permeability and

diffusion of tritiated water vapor and the retention and

55
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (coNTINUED)

decontamination of tritium activity. Relative ratings

based on these tests are presented. For protective suiting “Saran” - PVC was rated best and polyvinyl chloride

was rated poorest.

ANL-5743 Davis, D. A., J. E. Ayert and R. M. Mayfield.

Gloves for Protective Enclosures. (May 19S7 ) Argonne

National Laboratory, P. O. Box 299, Lemont, Illinois

A study of the glove problem has been made by the

ANL Glove Committee as a necessary prerequisite to any

attempt at coordination or standardization. This report

consists of a compilation of the findings of the Committee

and the resulting compromises which are felt necessary to

the resolution of the problem.

Materials, methods of manufacturing and general

properties of gloves are described. Glove design has been

analyzed and suggestions are made in regard to an acceptable

56
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED) I

I

standard . Permeability characteristics of various glove

compounds are reviewed and the effect of moisture contamination upon hypothetical systems is tabulated. An electrical

test is proposed for the

Butler, H. L., and R. W.

Plastic Suits in Tritium

determination of glove soundness.

Van Wyck “Integrity of Vinyl

Atmospheres .“ Health Physics,

vol. 2, 195 - 198 (1959)

Significant amounts of tritium oxide penetrate vinyl

plastic suits when exposed to high level concentrations.

The degree of penetration can be estimated from data obtained

during

can be

on the

;

control tests. Exposures of personnel using the suits

controlled by establishing working time limits based

expected penetration. Laundering does not appear

to affect the overall permeability of the plastic. The

test data permit extensive use of the inexpensive two-piece

suit, resulting in considerable cost savings in a tritium

protection program.

57
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (cONTINUED)

Y-1075 Rowan, J. H. Moisture Permeability of Glove

Materials for Controlled-Atmosphere Boxes. (May 1954)

Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Company, A division of Union

Carbide and Carbon Corporation, Y-12 plant, Oak Ridge,

Tennessee

The permeability of Butyl-7, Butyl-6, Supreme-4,

Supreme-2, U. S. Rubber-1, Neoprene-3, Surety-5, Kodapak-8,

and Kodapak-9 was measured. Most of these materials were

tested under 3 conditions: 24° C and 58% relative humidity,

24° C and 100% relative humidity, and 37° C and 100% humidity.

Of the samples of materials tested Butyl rubber

appears to have a moisture permeability of about one-tenth

that of the next best material. The results presented

should be considered indicative only for presently marketed

stocks .

Ayer, J. E., D. R. Schmitt, and R. M. Mayfield. “Permeation

of Water Vapor Through Polymeric Films” , Journal of App lied

Polymer Science, Vol. III, Issue No. 7, 1 - 10 (1960)

58
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED)

The use of gloves made of rubber or synthetically

produced copolymers in protective atmosphere enclosures

has focused attention upon the permeability of the film as

a suspect area for the diffusion of water vapor as a

contaminant into the protective gas system. This investigation was carried out to determine the role of the

conditions affecting the permeability of glove materials.

Particular attention was placed upon the system governing

the permeation of water vapor through vinyl, Hycar, and

milled and latex neoprene films. The investigation was

carried out by a constant pressure technique conforming

to Procedure B, ASTM Designation E96-53T. The rate at

which water vapor permeates a film was studied in the

light of two independent variables: film thickness and

water vapor pressure differential across the film.

Permeation rate was found to be inversely proportional to

thickness to a constant exponent. The variation of

permeation rate with vapor pressure drop across a membrane

is not as sharply defined as the variation with thickness,

59
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED)

but does vary semilogarithmica lly. It was found that water

vapor permeation rate may be mathematically defined in terms

of the controlling variables and three constants. The

relationship between permeation rate and the independent

variables influencing this rate can be expressed as W/tA =

~enAp m

/x where

of area A area

the difference

the film, K is

W is the weight of water permeating a film

in time t. The film thickness is x, Ap is

in partial pressure of water vapor across

defined as the permeability constant, n is

the partial pressure coefficient, and m is a thickness

coefficient dependent upon the solution system employed

for film manufacture. Characterization of a particular

film with respect to its permeability is possible through

the use of the permeability constants. The value of the

thickness coefficient appears to be dependent upon the

solution system employed in the manufacture of the film.

The exponents of thickness are offered as 1.1 for an organic

solvent dispersion system

system. The value of the

and 0.8 for

exponential

60

an aqueous dispersion

constant dependent
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED)

upon the vapor pressure differential and the value of the

permeability constant are suggested as dependent upon the

schedule of “compounding” and not readily predictable.

They appear, however, to be well defined functions and,

once determined for a particular composition, may be used

to predict the permeability of that material as a function

of the water vapor pressure differential across the film.

Daynes, H. A. “The Process of Diffusion Through a Rubber

Membrane”, Royal Society of London Proceedings, 97A, 286 -

307 (1920)

The theory of the diffusion of several gases through

rubber membranes is discussed. The permeability of the

rubber membranes to these gases was determined experimentally.

Morgan, P. W. “Structure and Moisture Permeability of Film

Forming Polymers”, Industrial and Enqineerinq Chemistry,

Vol. 45, No. 10, 2296 - 2306 (Oct. 1953)

61
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED)

The moisture permeabilities of over 100 film-forming

polymers were determined at thicknesses in the range of 0.001

to 0.003 inch, at 39.5° C and a vapor pressure differential

equivalent to 53 mm. of mercury. Of these materials only

20 had permeabilities below 50 grams of water vapor per

100 c#. per hour at a thickness of 0.002 inch.

The film-forming materials having low permeabilities

were polyethylene, rubber hydrochloride, vinylidene chloride

copolymers, polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene,

and isobutylene-isoprene copolymers. The mechanism of

permeation is discussed.

LA-2671 Engelke, Morris J. and Edwin A. Bemis, Jr. &

study of the Diffusion and Mixinq of Tritium Gas in Air.

(April 1962) . Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the

University of California, LOS Alamos, New Mexico

The mechanism by which small amounts of tritium gas

mix with air has been investigated. Interpretations have

62
DIFFUSION AND PERMEABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND IN MATERIALS (CONTINUED)

been applied to the diffusion process for a small-volume

source in a homogeneous and stationary atmosphere. Results

from strict diffusion considerations indicate that the

concentration velocity of tritium in air has a practical

maximum value of less than 0.4 cm/sec. However, effective

concentration velocities depend almost entirely on the air

motion in the room and are as much as three orders of

magnitude greater than those indicated by diffusion theory.

Therefore, to obtain a representative breathing-zone sample,

the detector of a monitoring instrument should be placed

as close to a worker’s face as possible and in a position

to take advantage of the air flow in the room.

DOSIMETRY

sCTM-406-59( 33) Rarrick, H. L. and G. E. Tucker An

Approximation of Radiation Dose Resultinq from an Accidental

Release of Tritium Gas. (December 1959) Sandia Corporation,

Albuquerque, New Mexico

63

I
DOSIMETRY (CONTINWD)

A simple method is developed for calculating the

approximate radiation dose for personnel exposed to an

accidental release of tritium gas.

AERE - M. 770 Gibson, J. A. B. Detection of Tritium with

a Film Dosimeter (Nov. 1960). Health Physics Division,

U. K. A. E. A. Research Group, Atomic Energy Research

Establishment, Harwell,

Exposure, at room temperature and 50% relative

humidity, of the A. E. R. E. film dosimeter to tritium as

HTO results in a film blackening which is proportional to

the exposure dose of tritium and to the storage time after

exposure before developing. From measurements of the

blackening of the

time, the dose

Calibration of

over the range

air activities

to

film and a knowledge of the storage

the man wearing the film can be determined.

the films to an accuracy of +

0.1 to 2.5 rem, corresponding

in the range 150 to 20,000 pc

50% is given

to tritium in

per cm3.

64
DOSIMETRY (CONTINUED)

LA - 2163 Lawrence, James N. P. Estimation of Whole Body

Dose (REM) From Tr it i.um in Body Water (November 1957 ) Los

Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of

California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

The most reasonable method of detecting tritium in

the body is by urinalysis. A detailed procedure, in use

at LASL since 1953, is given for estimating the whole body

exposure from a known concentration of tritium in the body

water. As presented it is based on 1956 accepted standards

of a permissible body burden of 3.7 mc, a 43.4 kg critical

organ (total body water), and a 1.7 RBE for tritium in the

body .

GENERAL TRITIUM PROBLEMS

LAMS-2602 Engelke, Morris J. Health Problems Associated

with the Acceleration of Tritons in a 2.5 Mev Van De Graaff

(July 1961) Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the

University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

65

I
GENERAL TRITIUM PROBLEMS (CONTINUED)

The purpose of this document is to enumerate some of

the health problems associated with the acceleration of

tritons in a 2.5 Mev Van De Graaff. In the course of years

of operation many procedures in the handling of tritium and

tritium-contaminated components have been accumulated.

Listing and recording of these experiences may prove of

benefit to others. While there are potential dangers

associated with tritium acceleration, reasonable precaution

will prevent serious personnel exposures.

DP-367 Symonds, Albert E., Jr. Removal.of Tritium

Contamination from Surfaces of Metals (April 1959) E. I.

du Pent de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory

Heat treatments greatly enhance the removal of

tritium contamination from metals that have been exposed to

heavy water used as a reactor moderator. Heat treatment

for 30 minutes at 300° C has been found effective in

removing general contamination. Quench treatments following

the heating

process.

significantly improve the decontamination

66
GENERAL TRITIUM PROBLEMS (CONTINUED)

The “smear” technique for the detection of tritium

on surfaces is much more sensitive and reliable if the

paper smear is wet with a compound of low volatility, e.g.,

oil or glycerol.

USNRDL-TR-505 Vaughan, B. E. and A. K. Davis Some

Critical Observations Concerning the Handlinq of Hiqh Levels

of Tritium Radioactivity. (April 1961) Naval Radiological

Defense Laboratory, San Francisco, California

The data presented demonstrate substantial nonvolatile transfer of tritium from contaminated surfaces to

skin by direct contact. Since radioactivity on the contaminated surfaces is not necessarily detectable by gas-flow

monitoring methods, this route of entry of tritium into

body tissue must be considered an unrecognized, potential

hazard, where the handling of apparatus exposed to high

levels of tritium is concerned. The lability of contacttransferred tritium in skin, its chemical form and location

within the skin, and the exact radioactivity content of the

67
GENERAL TRITIUM PROBLEMS (CONTINUED)

contaminated surfaces are peculiar problems remaining to

be established by exact methods. The demonstration on

non-volatile contact transfer is reported here because of

its significance to health safety practice.

AECU-3394 Kingsley, W. H. and F. G. Hirsch Some Health

Considerations in the Handlin q of Tritium (June 1956) .

Sandia Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A discussion is presented as to the possible hazards

of tritium which may be used as a guide for those personnel

who will be coming in contact with the material in small

quantities.

DP-329 Butler, Harry L., and Robert W. Van Wyck A Synopsis

of Studies Related to Tritium Monitoring and Personnel

Protective Techniques. (February 1959) . E. 1. du Pent de

Nemours & Co., Explosive Department, Atomic Energy Division,

Technical Division, Savannah River Laboratory

68
GENERAL

Information

TRITIUM PROBLEMS (CONTINuED)

obtained from investigations pertinent

to tritium monitoring and protective measures at the

Savannah River plant are given. These findings were used

to establish realistic protective techniques and consequently,

to insure the safety of workers exposed to this hazard.

Topics included are: Contamination, permeation of plastics

and rubber, instrumentation, and biological and physical

aspects.

Barker, Robert F. “Tritium Protection.” Isotopics pp. 10 -

15 (January 1956)

Some of the practical aspects of tritium hazard

control are discussed, as well as physiological significance

of exposure and instrumentation. A bibliography of 45

references is given.

69
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE

LA-1464 Pinson, Ernest A., The AbsorP tion of Inqested

Tritium Water and the Water Dilution Volume of Man

“(June 1952) . Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the

University of California, LOS Alamost New Mexico

Tritium activity in venous blood of humans increased

linearly with time after ingestion of HTO. This increase

in activity began 2 to 9 min. following ingestion and reached

a maximum in about 40 to 45 minutes. The rate of appearance

of tritium in the blood was essentially the same when the

HTO was ingested in 100 ml of water or” in 1000 ml of water.

These studies suggested that water absorption from the

gastrointestinal tract began 2 to 9 minutes after ingestion.

They also suggested that the volume of water transferred

from the gastrointestinal tract to the blood, by absorption

or exchange was linear with time after ingestion and was

proportional to the volume of water ingested within the

range of 100 to 1000 ml. The time required for the complete

absorption of 100 to 1000 ml of water from, the gut was 40

to 45 min.

70
phySiOlOgiCal ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

After reaching a maximum in about 45 min. the

activity in venous blood usually declined slowly until

equilibrium was reached at about 2 1/2 hours. From the

equilibrium activity measured at 2 1/2 hours it was possible

to determine the dilution volume for HTO in the body. The

body dilution volume ranged from 57.6 to 67.3 percent of the

body weight in five experiments on three men. The average

of all determinations was 62.2 percent.

LA-1466 Pinson, Ernest A., Ernest C. Anderson, and Virginia

Lotz AbSO rption of Liquid HTO and HTO Vapor Through the

Skin of Man. (June 1952) Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

of the University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

When the arm of a man was exposed at 24° C for 15

minutes or longer to an atmosphere saturated with HTO

vapor, it was found that an average of 0.019 mg/cm~min

the HTO was transferred across the skin into the body.

rate ‘of absorption was comparable to the rate of water

of

This

loss

at 24° C through the skin as insensible perspiration, i.e.,

71
physiological ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

the water loss through the skin when sweat glands are

inactive. Both processes are concluded to be due to the

diffusion of water vapor back and forth through the skin

barrier and are dependent on vapor pressure.

The HTO vapor took 2 to 5 minutes to diffuse across

what appears to be an inert barrier in the skin before

coming in contact with diluting volumes from where it was

picked up by the blood stream. The half-time of appearance

in the blood ranged from 20 min. to 1 hour, depending on

the circulation rate in the skin. The diluting volume

between the outer inert layer of the skin and the circulating

fluids appeared to be equivalent to a water layer only

about 0.064 mm deep.

When the arm was immersed in liquid HTO at 34° C

for periods of 5 min. or less, the rate of HTO water transfer

across the skin ranged from 0.040 to 0.065 mg/cma/min. This

rate of transfer was higher than could be accounted for by

diffusion during the time of exposure due to vapor pressure

72
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

alone. It was concluded therefore that there is a “blotter

effect” in the outer skin layer that returned some of the

HlY3 water per se in the skin after removal from the exposure

solution. No significant reduction was made in the amount

of HTO subsequently showing up in the general body fluids

when the exposed area was rinsed and dried after exposure,

or washed for 30 min. or rinsed, dried, and immersed in 100

percent alcohol for 30 minutes.

The absorption rate of HTO through the skin when the

arm is immersed in liquid HTO for 10 min. or longer was

less than that observed during shorter exposure periods

and appeared to decrease with increasing lengths of exposure

until the rate of transfer inward through the skin per unit

of vapor pressure was comparable to that found during long

exposures to HTO in the saturated vapor state.

The rates of transfer of HTO through the skin was

compared with the absorption through the lung which has

been reported (LA-1465). The comparison indicated that the

tritium taken into the body through the total skin surface

73
PhySiOlOgiCal AspEcTs OF EXPOSURE (cONTImD)

from an environment containing HTO or T O would approximately

a

equal that absorbed via the respiratory tract when the

possible but undetermined protective effect of clothing is

ignored.

LA-1986 Trujillo, T. T., E. C. Anderson, and W. H. Langham

Biological Effects of Inhalation of Hiqh Concentrations of

Tritium Gas (December 1955) Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

of the University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

The hazard resulting from inhalation of unoxidized

tritium (T or HT) in relatively high concentration was

2

investigated. Mice were made to inhale an atmosphere

containing 1 per cent tritium gas (20 curies per liter)

and the rate of fixation of tritium as HTO in the body

fluids was determined.

The animals fixed an I@: dose of tritium as tritium

water (1.5 rec./cc. of body fluids, equivalent to ~800 rep

total body exposure) in about 45 minutes, during which time

the calculated total dose to the lung surfaces was -135,000

74
physiological ASPECTW OF EXpOSURE (CONTWJED)

rep. No histological evidence of acute lung changes front

the very high doses of beta radiation was observed. The

30 day survival curve of the mice inhaling 1 per cent

tritium gas was compared with that of animals given tritium

water (HTO) by intraperitoneal injection. The results

showed no significant difference in the L@: of mice exposed

by inhalation of tritium gas and mice that received equivalent

amounts of HTO by injection. From these results it was

concluded that the additional large beta radiation exposure

of the alveolar surfaces resulted in no additional acute

stress to the animal. It appears, therefore, that the

fixation of tritium as HTO in the body fluids is the limiting

factor with regard to acute inhalation exposure to tritium

gas.

LA-1218 Pinson, Ernest A., and Ernest C. Anderson me

Body Absorp tion, Distribution, and Excretion of Tritium in

Man and Animals. (March 1951) Los Alamos Scientific

Laboratory of the University of California, Los Alamos,

New Mexico

75
PHYSIOLOGICAL AsP13cTs OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

A study has been made of the body absorption,

distribution, and excretion of tritium in man and laboratory

animals following exposure to tritium in the form of HT and

HTO . Both respiratory and oral routes of exposure were

studied. The results indicated that the major portion of

tritium inspired as HTO was absorbed in the

little tritium inspired as HT was absorbed.

man oxidized small amounts of HT to HTO.

body. Very

Both rat and

From the

man the maximum

results obtained it would appear that for

permissible level of tritium as HTO in

inspired air should be 6 x 10-suc/cc. based on 0.3 rep/wk

and a 40 hr/wk exposure. The maximum permissible level of

tritium as HT in inspired air should 0.6 Lc/cc. In the

latter case radiation doses to the lungs is the limiting

factor. The principal dilution volume of tritium as HTO

in the body of both man and animals on short exposure was

found to be the total body water. The rate of turnover of

tritium from the body fluids following acute exposure was

in keeping with the rate of turnover of total body water.

76
Physiological ASPECTS OF ExpOsuRE (cONTImD)

Mice excreted tritium from body fluids with a biological

half-time of 1.5 to 2.0 days, rats 3 to 5 days, men 9 to

14 days.

Chronic exposure of mice to HTO over a period of 5

months resulted in tritium which has a biological half-time

longer than one week becoming distributed in the body water

and in some other undetermined body constituents. The study

further showed that tritium concentration as HTO in all the

body fluids and fluid excreta of man was essentially the

same.

The rate of absorption of HTO through the gastrointestinal tract was linear with time when given amounts

were ingested. Tritium excretion as HTO from the body

fluids of man and animals was exponential with water

turnover. Absorption of HTO through the skin of man was

studied by immersion of the hand and forearm in water

containing HTO. Absorption through the skin was found to

be approximately equal to the rate of water loss by

77
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

insensible perspiration.

HW-29615 (Report Classified) Thompson, Roy C., and Harry

A. Kornberg Hazards of Exposure to Tritium and Tritium

Oxide (January 19S4) Hanford Works, Richland, Washington

The relative seriousness of exposure to elemental

tritium and tritium oxide is discussed. Different modes of

body entry are considered, as well as the distribution of

tritium in the body and its elimination. Application to

practical hazard control procedures is discussed.

LA-1465 Pinson, Ernest A., Ernest C. Anderson, and Virginia

Lotz Lunq Absorption of HTO by Man Upon Inspiration of .

HTO Water Vapor. (June 1952) Los Alamos Scientific

Laboratory of the University of California, Los Alamos,

New Mexico

Five experiments on three human subjects exposed to

HTO water vapor in inspired air showed that between 98 and

99 per cent of HTO vapor inspired was absorbed through the

78
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (c0NTINIn3D)

respiratory system into the body and that only 1 to 2 per

cent of the inspred HTO was expired during the exposure.

Thus for radiation exposure purposes when estimating HTO

uptake by men exposed to an atmosphere containing HTO vapor,

one must assume that essentially all HTO inspired is absorbed

into the body.

Twenty-five to 39 minutes was required for the HTO

activity in expired air to come down to a level equal to that

in the venous blood and urine. This sustained high activity

in expired water vapor after exposure was thought to be due

to adsorption of HTO on the lining of the upper respiratory

tract during exposure where it comes into equilibrium

slowly with other body fluids.

After exposure to HTO vapor in inspired air the

activity in venous blood rose sharply for a few minutes

and then declined exponentially in about 80 min to a level

indistinguishable from ultimate equilibrium by the sensitivity of the analytical methods used. The half-time for

the exponential decline in activity in venous blood was

79
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

found to be about 12 min which indicated that 99 per cent

of ultimate equilibrium would be reached in about 80 min.

With high rates of urine secretion after exposure to

HTO vapor in inspired air the activity in urine showed the

same pattern as that observed for venous blood. However,

the activity in urine rose higher than that in venous blood

and remained measurably higher for about 2 hours after

exposure. The exponential decline in activity in urine

at high rates of urine secretion had a half-time of about

20 to 22 min which indicated that about 2 1/2 hrs was

required to reach 99 per cent of equilibrium. At S~OW

rates of urine secretion the rise in activity with time

following exposure was slow, and the maximal activity was

recorded 25 to 40 min after exposure. After reaching this

maximum, the activity declined slowly to equilibrium.

AECD-4207 DeLong, C. W. Percutaneous Absorption of

Tritium Oxide. (July 1951) Hanford Works, Richland,

Washington

80
I

PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF ExpOsm (CONTINtJED)

Data are presented on the absorption of tritium

oxide vapor through human skin. Under the experimental

conditions used, the average rate constant was found to be

0.28 + 0.08 Uc/cm2 skin/rein per uc/cc of atmosphere for

the forearm exposures, but some of the data suggested a

higher rate constant for other portions of the body surface.

The effects of various parameters on percutaneous absorption

are discussed and the relationship of the data to estimation

of maximum permissible limits is mentioned briefly.

DeLong, Chester W., Roy C. Thompson, and Harry A. Kornberg

“Permeability of Excised Mouse, Rat, and Human Skin to

Gaseous Tritium”, Radiation Research, Vol. 1, 214 - 217

(1954)

The percutaneous absorption of tritium gas was

studied using excised skin from mice, rats, and man. In

2 3

terms of uc tritium absorbed/cm /min/~c tritium/cm atmospheres,

-6

absorption rates found were, for mice (254 f 44) x 10 ;

for rats (207 f 26) x 10

-6

; and for man, (72 * 16) x 10-6.

81
PHYSIOrIOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

Although there is considerable uncertainty as to the

applicability of these figures to intact animals, the relative permeability of human, rat, and mouse skins should

be useful in the extrapolation of animal data to humans.

Pinson, Ernest A., and Wright H. Langham. “Physiology and

Toxicology of Tritium in Man”, Journal of APP lied Phvsiolocry,

vol. 10, No. 1, 108 - 126 (January 1957)

Using tritium water as a tracer in man, water

absorption through the gastrointestinal tract began in

minutes and was complete in 40-45 minutes. The volume

water transferred from the intestine to the blood was

2-9

of

linear with time and proportional to the volume of water

ingested, within the range of 100-1000 ml. When exposed

to HTO vapor via inhalation, man absorbed through the

respiratory system 98-99~0 of the activity inspired. The

activity in venous blood increased sharply during and

shortly after inhalation exposure, after which it declined

exponentially to equilibrium with a half-time

minutes. The average dilution volume in five

82

of about 12

experiments
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

on three normal males was 62.2% and the biological halftime of tritium in body water of eight males on ad libitum

water intake averaged 11.5 days. At equal vapor pressures

man absorbed HTO inward through the skin at a rate comparable

to the rate of insensible perspiration. HTO appeared to

diffuse across the inert barrier of the outer skin with a

half-time of about 3 minutes. When man was

atmosphere containing HTO, the HTO entering

the total skin area was approximately equal

through the

HT to HTO.

lungs. Both man and rat slowly

exposed to an

the body through

to that entering

oxidized inspired

The radiation hazard from exchange of tritium

with hydrogen of the tissues after chronic or acute

exposure to HTO was small compared to the hazard from the

amount of HTO necessary to induce the activity into tissue

/’components. On the basis of human data, the maximum permissible body burden of tritium was calculated to be 3.7

mc, and the maximum permissible concentrations of tritium

oxide in air and water for continuous 24-hour exposure was

-e

estimated at 5 x 10 Kc/ml and 0.1 ~c/ml, respectively.

83
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE

Adoption of the 1956 recommendations of

(CONTI~D )

the International

Commission on Radiological Protection will result in the

division of the above values by three.

LA-1468 Pinson, Ernest A., Ernest C. Anderson, and Virginia

Lotz The Specific Activity of Tritium in the Orqanic

Components of the Skin and Fat of Man Followinq Eiqht Months

Chronic Exposure to HTO in Body Fluids. (October 1952 ) .

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of

California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

A healthy 39-year-old male weighing 65 kg was exposed

for a period of 8 months to varying levels of HTO. The

average tritium activity in body fluids over the entire

period was 23 ~c/liter. A few weeks after exposure, when

the HTO activity in body fluids had declined to about 0.2

Uc/liter, a biopsy was performed on skin and fat taken from

the region of the lower abdomen and the material was analyzed

for tritium activity. The skin showed an average activity

equivalent to 0.4 Lc/kg of dry tissue and the fat about 0.3

~c/kg of dry tissue. The radiation dose per unit time from

84
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

these activities was only 1 to 2 per cent of the radiation

dose per unit time during the 8 month exposure period. It

was concluded that the radiation hazard due to retention of

tritium in the organic components of these tissues of man

after chronic exposure was negligible compared to the

radiation hazard from HTO activity in the body fluids which

was necessary to induce the activity into the organic

components. Comparable experiments on mice previously

reported indicate that this conclusion may hold for all

tissues in the body.

The water content of the skin and fat of man was

found to be 71 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, on

the basis of the wet weight. The hydrogen content of skin

was 7.6 per cent, and of fat 11.4 per cent, of the dry

weight of the tissue.

LA-1469 Pinson, Ernest A., Ernest C. Anderson, and Virginia

Lotz Theoretical Considerations of Acute Exposure of Man

to HTO or T.O Activity in the Atmospheric Environment.

85
pHYSIOLOGICZM AspECTs OF EXPOSURE (CONTINUED)

(October 1952) Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the

University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

The quantity of tritium taken into the body of man

on exposure to an atmosphere containing HTO or T20 vapor is

proportional to the length of exposure and the activity of

HTO or T20 per unit volume in the atmosphere. The theoretical quantity of HTO or T20 required to produce lethality can

be introduced into the body of man in a few seconds of

exposure or in the time required to take one breath if the

atmosphere is saturated with T20 vapor. It is indicated

that personnel working with T20 should be extremely cautious

with procedures which might possibly lead to exposure to

tritium water vapor.

LA-1646 Anderson, E. C., and Wright Langham A ~eoretical

Consideration of the Hazards Associated with Acute Exposure

to Hiqh Concentrations of Tritium Gas (February 1954) Los

Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of California,

Los Alamos, New Mexico

86
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPOSURE (cONTINUED)

Theoretical consideration of the hazards associated

with acute exposure to high concentrations of T2 gas

indicates that a lethal radiation dose would result only

from explosive oxidation of very rich T2-air mixtures.

If the gas remained as T2 , the dose rate to a 1 v layer of

the respiratory surfaces would be very high (thousands of

rep/see) but the effect of doses of this magnitude on a

very thin layer of these surfaces is completely unknown.

Other hazards considered are whole body radiation from

dissolved T2 in body fluids, biological oxidation of T2

and subsequent absorption of the tritium water produced,

auto-oxidation of the T2 by the tritium beta rays and

absorption of the tritium water, and Bremsstrahlung

radiation of tissue surfaces. The orders of magnitude of

these hazards are a few tenths rep/see of exposure.

87