Tritium transport around nuclear facilities

Journal Article · · Nucl. Saf.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5951662

Murphy, Jr, C E ^[1]; Sweet, C W; Fallon, R D

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1. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Aiken, SC

The transport and cycling of tritium around nuclear facilities are reviewed with special emphasis on studies at the Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, SC. These studies have shown that the rate of deposition from the atmosphere, the site of deposition, and the subsequent cycling are strongly influenced by the compound with which the tritium is associated. Tritiated hydrogen is largely deposited in soil, whereas tritiated water is deposited in the greatest quantity in vegetation. Tritiated hydrogen is converted in the soil to tritiated water that leaves the soil slowly, through drainage and transpiration. Tritiated water deposited directly to the vegetation leaves the vegetation more rapidly after exposure. Only a small part of the tritium entering the vegetation becomes bound in organic molecules. In most cases the soil organic compounds have a greater tritium concentration than the concentration at equilibrium with the associated soil water. It appears that the elevated tritium concentration of the soil organic compounds can be explained by direct metabolism of tritiated hydrogen in living vegetation. Two models were developed to predict the concentration of tritium in the vegetation and soil following atmospheric releases of mixtures of tritiated water and tritiated hydrogen. One model makes predictions applicable to short-duration release conditions, and the other model predicts annual average tritium concentrations from chronic releases. The tritium concentrations predicted by both models, under the conditions for which they were designed, compared well with data gathered at the Savannah River Plant.

• OSTI ID: 5951662
• Journal Information: Nucl. Saf.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Saf.; (United States) Vol. 23:6; ISSN NUSAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510302 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACUTE EXPOSURE
ACUTE IRRADIATION
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
CHRONIC IRRADIATION
DIFFUSION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METABOLISM
MINERAL CYCLING
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLANTS
PLUMES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOECOLOGY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TRITIUM
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES