Conversion of gaseous molecular tritium to tritiated water in biological systems. [Role of soil microorganisms]

Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7139708· OSTI ID:7139708

Murphy, Jr, C E; Boni, A L; Tucker, S P

The exposure of field soils to molecular tritium under laboratory conditions showed that molecular tritium was converted to tritiated water within the soil column. Soil conditions which promoted active metabolism of soil microorganisms also increased the amount of tritium found as tritiated water. Soil sterilization greatly decreased the conversion of molecular tritium, while reinnoculation with soil microorganisms restored the conversion ability of the soil. On the basis of these results, we conclude that molecular tritium is converted to tritiated water in soil through the metabolic action of soil microorganisms. A series of experiments was also carried out in which closed plant-soil systems were exposed to molecular tritium. Tritiated water was found in the soil and plant water after exposure. In some cases, the concentration of tritiated water in the plants was higher than the concentration in the soil. This observation suggests that there may be conversion of molecular tritium to tritiated water associated with the metabolism of the plants.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.
• OSTI ID: 7139708
• Report Number(s): DP-1422
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510302* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOMASS
DIFFUSION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FOOD CHAINS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
REACTION KINETICS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
ROOT ABSORPTION
SOILS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TRITIUM
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
UPTAKE
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES