Estimating the dose from atmospheric releases of HT

Technical Report · Tue Nov 13 04:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5817274· OSTI ID:5817274

Murphy, Jr, C E

Measurements of uptake of tritium by humans and laboratory animals following exposure to tritiated hydrogen gas, HT, suggest that the radiotoxicity of HT is four orders of magnitude less than that of tritiated water, HTO. However, this analysis does not take into account the conversion of HT into HTO following release into the environment. Experimental releases of HT have demonstrated that HT release to the environment is converted to HTO by soil microorganisms. In this report two methods are used to estimate the effect of HT to HTO conversion on the inhalation dose of individuals exposed to tritium downwind of a release of HT. From this analysis it is predicted that the ratio of dose from inhalation of tritium following an atmospheric release of HT, as compared to inhalation of HTO, is closer to 0.01 than the 0.0001 attributed to simple HT inhalation. Under meteorologic conditions which keep the HT release near the surface and promote optimum soil microbial activity, the analysis suggests that the ratio of dose from an atmospheric HT release could be as high as 25% of that from an atmospheric HTO release.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 5817274
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR-90-538; ON: DE92009428
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560101* -- Biomedical Sciences
Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects-- Dosimetry & Monitoring-- (1992-)
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DOSES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POPULATIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
SOILS
TOXICITY
TRITIUM
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES