HTO Concentrations Research Articles

Tritium distribution in the 'water-soil-air' system in the Semipalatinsk Test Site.

This article presents research findings on 3H in abiotic environmental compartments, specifically, the 'water-soil-air' system. All of the research areas are located within the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS): the perimeter of the 'Degelen' site, the riverside zone of the Shagan river and the 'background' area-the southeastern part of the STS (SEP). As research progressed, numerical values of 3H and its species were revealed in various environmental compartments. The presence of 3H was registered not only in underground nuclear test locations but also in the 'background' area-SEP. Maximum 3H tritium concentrations in the water were detected at the 'Degelen' site (up to 57000±5000 Bq/kg) and the Shagan riv (up to 61500±6000 Bq/kg), in the air of the 'Degelen' site (up to 56±11 Bq/m3), in the soil of the 'Degelen' site (up to 5170±500 Bq/kg) and the Shagan riv (4100±400 Bq/kg) in the free water, at SEP (up to 1710±170 Bq/kg) in the organic constituent. Based upon all of the findings, 3H was found to be readily distributed in abiotic environmental compartments depending on certain conditions. Research suggests that water plays a key role in 3H migration processes in the natural system of interest. The second most but equally important constituent is soil and microorganisms of plant and animal origin living there. These assumptions are indirectly proven by research findings that show the HTO and HT air concentration dynamics depending on the sampling location.

A deuterium tracer experiment for simulating accumulation and elimination of organically bound tritium in an edible flatfish, olive flounder

Tritium (3H, T) is discharged by nuclear facilities into coastal oceans as tritiated water (HTO). When the concentration of HTO in seawater increases, the accumulation of organically bound tritium (OBT) in edible fish becomes a concern because of its longer residence time than HTO. To evaluate the accumulation potential of OBT in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), a commercially important edible fish in northeast Asia, we experimentally exposed the fish to seawater enriched with deuterium (2H, D) as a substitute for tritium. Progressive increases and decreases in the concentration of organically bound deuterium (OBD) were observed in the edible part (i.e., muscle) of the fish during the period of exposure to 2H (161 days) and the subsequent period of elimination of OBD (196 days). The measured concentration of OBD was analyzed using a newly developed single-compartment model to describe the metabolism of OBD in muscle via the following three transfer pathways: formation of OBD from 2H in water, elimination of OBD by catabolism, and ingestion of feed with natural abundance of OBD. The model estimates were in good agreement with the measured muscle OBD concentrations. The formation and elimination rate constants for OBD in the muscle were estimated by fitting our model to the measured data. The biological half-life of OBT in the muscle, estimated from the elimination rate constant, was 133 days, which was far longer than that of HTO in the free water of the muscle. Our model facilitates the estimation of OBT accumulation potential in olive flounder inhabiting coastal areas near nuclear facilities, and thus, will help to assess the radiation dose that humans are exposed to from ingesting seafood.

Integrative effects based on behavior, physiology and gene expression of tritiated water on zebrafish

Tritium is a water-soluble hydrogen isotope that releases beta rays during decay. In nature, tritium primarily exists as tritiated water (HTO), and its main source is nuclear power/processing plants. In recent decades, with the development of nuclear power industry, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of tritium on organisms. In this study, fertilized zebrafish embryos are treated with different HTO concentrations (3.7 × 103 Bq/ml, 3.7 × 104 Bq/ml, 3.7 × 105 Bq/ml). After treatment with HTO, the zebrafish embryos developed without evident morphological changes. Nevertheless, the heart rate increased and locomotor activity decreased significantly. In addition, RNA-sequencing shows that HTO can affect gene expressions. The differentially expressed genes are enriched through many physiological processes and intracellular signaling pathways, including cardiac, cardiovascular, and nervous system development and the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450. Moreover, the concentrations of thyroid hormones in the zebrafish decrease and the expression of thyroid hormone-related genes is disordered after HTO treatment. Our results suggest that exposure to HTO may affect the physiology and behaviors of zebrafish through physiological processes and intracellular signaling pathways and provide a theoretical basis for ecological risk assessment of tritium.

Distributions of tritium with different chemical form in the soil around Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant

Tritium with different chemical forms have different effects on the human body. In tritium migration and conversion, soil plays a significant role. In this study, our samples are from the surrounding environment of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, in addition, Qinshan Phase III Nuclear Power Plant is the only heavy water reactor nuclear power plant (CANDU type, 700 MWe) in China. Both tritiated water (HTO) and non-exchangeable organically bound tritium (NE-OBT) were measured at the surface soil (0–2 cm) at 8 sampling sites and their depth profiles in the subsurface 30 cm of soil in two sampling sites around Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in 2015, 2016 and 2018. The distribution analysis showed the further away from the nuclear power plant, the lower activity concentration of HTO at the surface soil. Also, in the depth profile, the HTO activity concentration decreased as the depth increase. Through soil analysis at different depths of sampling points A and D, it is concluded that the activity concentration of NE-OBT is the largest in the surface soil of the selected sampling points, which is similar to the HTO of most sampling points.

Distribution of tritium concentration in the 0–25 cm surface soil of cultivated and uncultivated soil around the Qinshan nuclear power plant in China

In this study, tritiated water (HTO) and organically bound tritium (OBT) activity concentration at different depth soil layers (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, 10–15 cm, 15–20 cm, and 20–25 cm) were measured in uncultivated and cultivated soil samples collected in the vicinity of the Qinshan nuclear power plant (QNPP) in July, September, and December 2018. The concentration difference, the spatial and temporal distribution, the seasonal variation, and the OBT/HTO ratios were investigated. The average ratios of HTO concentration between uncultivated and cultivated soil moisture were 1.20 ± 0.24, 1.39 ± 0.46 and 0.95 ± 0.14 in July, September and December, respectively, the corresponding values for OBT were 1.17 ± 0.31, 1.22 ± 0.49 and 1.08 ± 0.28. In generally, the highest HTO concentration in uncultivated soil was found for the topsoil (0–5 cm) in July and September and for the deeper soil layer (20–25 cm) in December, while for cultivated soil, the highest levels were found for the middle layer soil in July, for the topsoil (0–5 cm) in September, and for the deeper layer soil (20–25 cm) in December. Both soils, the vertical profile distribution of OBT concentration showed no consistent tendency, and there were no significant differences in the HTO and OBT concentrations between different soil layers, except for the highest concentration. Whether uncultivated soil or cultivated soil, HTO activity concentrations showed an apparent spatial distribution and seasonal variability, decreasing with the distance to the release sources and with sampling time, while OBT concentrations showed lower spatial and seasonal variability than HTO. In most cases, the OBT/HTO ratios were less than 1, with average values of 1.01 ± 0.48 and 1.06 ± 0.86 for cultivated soil and cultivated soil samples, respectively. The results of this work suggest that farming may affect tritium behavior in soil, while the spatial and temporal distribution of tritium is only slightly impacted.

Spatial and temporal variation of tritium concentrations during a dam flushing operation

Tritium is a radionuclide commonly observed worldwide in riverine systems. In the Rhône River downstream the Lake Geneva (Switzerland and France), its occurrence is also related to its use for its luminescent properties in watchmaking paints. In fact, tritium is regularly observed at anomalous levels in this river and extreme events such as flushing operations might conduct to its transport downstream. In the Rhône River, characterized by 21 dams downstream the Geneva Lake, such operations are regularly organized to remove the sediments and limit problematic consequences such as siltation and increased flooding hazards. The consequences of dam flushing operations on tritium concentrations were thus investigated. Samples of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and water were collected in the Rhone River downstream of Geneva in June 2012, during a planned flushing operation of three upstream reservoirs (Verbois, Chancy-Pougny and Génissiat). The concentrations of tritiated water (HTO) and organically bound Tritium (OBT) were measured and compared to reference concentrations. The flushing operations had no impact on the HTO concentration while the increases observed were related to the authorized releases of HTO from a nuclear power plant located downstream the dams. High increases of OBT concentrations in SPM were observed at two stations (Creys-Malville and Jons) without clear spatial or temporal trends. These anomalous peaks could be explained by the heterogeneous spatial distribution of technogenic tritium leading to large variations of tritium concentrations within the samples even though collected in areas close to each other. The results highlight the need to investigate the amount of such technogenic tritium currently stored in the upstream Rhone River as it might be significant.

Mathematical simulations for studying the effectiveness of HTO removal mechanism from spent fuel storage bay and estimating the environmental releases

The diffusion of tritiated water (HTO) vapor from the spent fuel storage bay to the spent fuel storage building (SFSB) may lead to internal exposure to occupational workers. In order to reduce this internal exposure, air curtains are provided over the spent fuel storage bay to effectively remove HTO diffusing from spent fuel storage bay to SFSB. The radiation doses to the occupational workers are controlled well below the permissible level by monitoring the air concentration of HTO in the SFSB area. In the present study, it is brought out that few additional monitoring of air concentration of HTO above the spent fuel storage bay can give useful information about the effectiveness of air curtains in the removal of HTO and the estimation of environmental releases of HTO. A three-dimensional advection-diffusion-based model is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of air curtains in the removal of HTO and for the estimation of environmental releases of HTO, utilizing these additional measurements. The study showed that air curtains are an effective mechanism to reduce the air concentration of HTO in SFSB and remove almost 50% of HTO activity using only around 24% of the ventilation air supplied to the SFSB. The environmental release rate of HTO estimated in this study was in good agreement with the measured release rate. The methodology developed here can also be utilized to carry out parametric studies to see the impact of changes in the parameters related with air curtains in the removal of HTO, thus for better designing of air curtains.

Role of soil-to-leaf tritium transfer in controlling leaf tritium dynamics: Comparison of experimental garden and tritium-transfer model results

Environmental transfer models assume that organically-bound tritium (OBT) is formed directly from tissue-free water tritium (TFWT) in environmental compartments. Nevertheless, studies in the literature have shown that measured OBT/HTO ratios in environmental samples are variable and generally higher than expected. The importance of soil-to-leaf HTO transfer pathway in controlling the leaf tritium dynamics is not well understood. A model inter-comparison of two tritium transfer models (CTEM-CLASS-TT and SOLVEG-II) was carried out with measured environmental samples from an experimental garden plot set up next to a tritium-processing facility. The garden plot received one of three different irrigation treatments – no external irrigation, irrigation with low tritium water and irrigation with high tritium water. The contrast between the results obtained with the different irrigation treatments provided insights into the impact of soil-to-leaf HTO transfer on the leaf tritium dynamics. Concentrations of TFWT and OBT in the garden plots that were not irrigated or irrigated with low tritium water were variable, responding to the arrival of the HTO-plume from the tritium-processing facility. In contrast, for the plants irrigated with high tritium water, the TFWT concentration remained elevated during the entire experimental period due to a continuous source of high HTO in the soil. Calculated concentrations of OBT in the leaves showed an initial increase followed by quasi-equilibration with the TFWT concentration. In this quasi-equilibrium state, concentrations of OBT remained elevated and unchanged despite the arrivals of the plume. These results from the model inter-comparison demonstrate that soil-to-leaf HTO transfer significantly affects tritium dynamics in leaves and thereby OBT/HTO ratio in the leaf regardless of the atmospheric HTO concentration, only if there is elevated HTO concentrations in the soil. The results of this work indicate that assessment models should be refined to consider the importance of soil-to-leaf HTO transfer to ensure that dose estimates are accurate and conservative.

Tritium in river waters from French Mediterranean catchments: Background levels and variability

Tritium background levels in various environmental compartments are deeply needed in particular to assess radiological impact, especially in river systems where most of releases from nuclear facilities are performed. The present study aims to identify the main environmental factors that influence tritium background levels in rivers at the regional scale. 41 samples were collected from 2014 to 2016 along 17 small rivers in the south of France. All were located out of the influence of direct releases from nuclear facilities. Tritiated water (HTO) concentrations measured in water samples ranged from 0.12±0.11 to 0.86±0.15BqL−1 and HTO concentrations in rains were modelled between 2015 and 2016 over the study period referring to time series acquired from 1963 to 2014 at Thonon-les-Bains monitoring station. The results of tritium concentrations in rivers studied present a significant variability and are more than twice lower than forecasted values in rain. Multiple linear regressions allowed identifying that HTO concentration in rains, watershed area and altitude were the main tested parameters that are linked to the variability of HTO concentrations in the studied rivers. Finally, HTO fluxes delivered to the Mediterranean Sea by French coastal rivers out of influence of nuclear releases were estimated. The results highlight that those account for around 1% of HTO exported while 99% are transferred by the nuclearized Rhone River.

Effects of in situ exposure to tritiated natural environments: A multi-biomarker approach using the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas

Aquatic ecosystems are chronically exposed to radionuclides as well as other pollutants. Increased concentrations of pollutants in aquatic environments can present a risk to exposed organisms, including fish. The goal of this study was to characterize the effects of tritium, in the context of natural environments, on the health of fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas. Fish were exposed to tritium (activity concentrations ranging from 2 to 23,000Bq/L) and also to various concentrations of several metals to replicate multiple-stressor environments. Fish were exposed for 60days, then transferred to the tritium background site where they stayed for another 60days. Tritium, in the forms of tritiated water (HTO) and organically bound tritium (OBT), and a series of fish health indicators were measured in fish tissues at seven time points throughout the 120days required to complete the exposure and the depuration phases. Results showed effects of environmental exposure following the increase of tritium activity and metals concentrations in water. The internal dose rates of tritium, estimated from tissue HTO and OBT activity concentrations, were consistently low (maximum of 0.2μGy/h) compared to levels at which population effects may be expected (>100μGy/h) and no effects were observed on survival, fish condition, gonado-somatic, hepato-somatic, spleno-somatic and metabolic indices (RNA/DNA, proteins/DNA and protein carbonylation (in gonads and kidneys)). Using multivariate analyses, we showed that several biomarkers (DNA damages, MN frequency, gamma-H2AX, SFA/MUFA ratios, lysosomal membrane integrity, AChE, SOD, phagocytosis and esterase activities) were exclusively correlated with fish tritium internal dose rate, showing that tritium induced genotoxicity, DNA repair activity, changes in fatty acid composition, and immune, neural and antioxidant responses. Some biomarkers were responding to the presence of metals, but overall, more biomarkers were linked to internalized tritium. The results are discussed in the context of multiple stressors involving metals and tritium.

Changes in HTO and OBT activity concentrations in the Perch Lake aquatic ecosystem

Perch Lake, a small shallow shield lake located on the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) site, contains elevated levels of tritium due to inputs from a nearby nuclear waste management area. The releases have been going on for many years but tritium levels in Perch Lake have been gradually decreasing since about year 2000. Lake water, sediments, aquatic plants, clams and fish were collected during the summer and fall of 2003 and 2013 at three locations in the lake. HTO activity concentrations were measured in all samples and OBT activity concentrations were measured in sediments, plants, clams and fish. In 2003, 2013, HTO activity concentrations in lake water were roughly uniform in time and space, except close to the shoreline where concentrations were fluctuating according to stream water and groundwater tritium levels in streams entering the lake. HTO activity concentrations of biota were similar to concentrations in lake water at the site where they were collected. OBT activity concentrations in biota were not always correlating with the lake water HTO levels. OBT to HTO ratios were found to be less than 1 for aquatic plants, around 1 for clams and fish and above 1 for birds reared on the shore of the lake.

Occurrence of HTO and NE-OBT in soil in the vicinity of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant

In this study, concentrations of tritiated water (HTO) and non-exchangeable organically bound tritium (NE-OBT) and the NE-OBT/HTO ratios were determined in soil around Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Zhejiang, China, and their vertical profile and spatial distribution were investigated. Results showed variations in both the HTO and NE-OBT concentrations in the vertical profile. The HTO concentrations generally decreased firstly and then increased with the increasing depths, but the trend was not significant. The NE-OBT concentrations in the surface soils (0–5 cm) were considerably lower than those in the deep soils (5–25 cm) at all the sites. The NE-OBT/HTO ratios also show a variable vertical profile, initially increasing and then decreasing with increasing soil depth. Both the HTO and NE-OBT concentrations decreased with the increasing distance to the HWRs in deep soil layers (5–25 cm), revealing that the released tritium from the NPP affected the spatial distribution.

Tritium concentration in soybean plants exposed to atmospheric HTO during nighttime and daytime

Potted soybean plants were exposed to evaporate HTO for 1 h inside an exposure box at two different growth stage (flowering and podding stage, filling stage) during nighttime and daytime. The concentration of tissue-free water tritium (TFWT) and organically bound tritium (OBT) in leaves and beans was measured at the end of the exposure. The results indicated that the quasi-equilibrium between the TFWT concentrations in the soybean leaves and the HTO concentration of the ambient air moisture required more than 1 h to be reached. The relative TFWT concentrations in the nighttime represent about 1/2 to 2/3 of the concentrations obtained in the day in the leaves compared to about 1/2 to 4/3 in the beans. The relative OBT concentrations under night conditions were about 2/5 to 1/2 of those under day conditions in the leaves, contrary to 1/2–7/10 for the beans. By developing tritium concentration assessment model with a short-term release of atmospheric HTO, we comprehensively considered the plant growth stage and the environmental conditions.

Levels of tritium in soils and vegetation near Canadian nuclear facilities releasing tritium to the atmosphere: implications for environmental models

Concentrations of organically bound tritium (OBT) and tritiated water (HTO) were measured over two growing seasons in vegetation and soil samples obtained in the vicinity of four nuclear facilities and two background locations in Canada. At the background locations, with few exceptions, OBT concentrations were higher than HTO concentrations: OBT/HTO ratios in vegetation varied between 0.3 and 20 and values in soil varied between 2.7 and 15. In the vicinity of the four nuclear facilities OBT/HTO ratios in vegetation and soils deviated from the expected mean value of 0.7, which is used as a default value in environmental transfer models. Ratios of the OBT activity concentration in plants ([OBT]plant) to the OBT activity concentration in soils ([OBT]soil) appear to be a good indicator of the long-term behaviour of tritium in soil and vegetation. In general, OBT activity concentrations in soils were nearly equal to OBT activity concentrations in plants in the vicinity of the two nuclear power plants. [OBT]plant/[OBT]soil ratios considerably below unity observed at one nuclear processing facility represents historically higher levels of tritium in the environment. The results of our study reflect the dynamic nature of HTO retention and OBT formation in vegetation and soil during the growing season. Our data support the mounting evidence suggesting that some parameters used in environmental transfer models approved for regulatory assessments should be revisited to better account for the behavior of HTO and OBT in the environment and to ensure that modelled estimates (e.g., plant OBT) are appropriately conservative.

Penetration of tritiated water vapor through hydrophobic paints for concrete materials

Behavior of tritium transfer through hydrophobic paints of epoxy and acrylic-silicon resin was investigated experimentally. The amounts of tritium permeating through their paint membranes were measured under the HTO concentration condition of 2–96Bq/cm3. Most of tritium permeated through the paints as a molecular form of HTO at room temperature. The rate of tritium permeating through the acrylic-silicon paint was correlated in terms of a linear sorption/release model, and that through the epoxy paint was controlled by a diffusion model. Although effective diffusivity estimated by a diffusion model was obtained 1.1×10−13–1.8×10−13m2/s for epoxy membranes at the temperature of 21–26°C, its value was found to be hundreds times larger than that for cement-paste coated with epoxy paint. Hence, resistance of tritium diffusion through interface between cement-paste and the epoxy paint was considered to be the most effective in the overall tritium transfer process. Clarification of tritium transfer behavior at the interface is important to understand the mechanism of tritium transfer in concrete walls coated with various paints.

Organically Bound Tritium (OBT) in Soil at Different Depths Around Chalk River Laboratories (CRL), Canada

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) is a large nuclear research and test establishment with nuclear and non-nuclear facilities located in Chalk River, Ontario. The CRL Environmental Monitoring Program is designed to demonstrate that radiological exposure resulting from releases from the CRL site remain below the public dose limit specified in the regulations (1 mSv/year). This study was conducted to consolidate environmental effects following a continuous atmospheric tritium release observed at CRL. Soil samples were collected at depths of up to 20 cm using soil probes at the CRL site and surrounding areas. The samples were sectioned at 5 cm intervals, and HTO and OBT concentrations were measured in the samples. Prevailing winds at CRL are from NW and SE, which was suggested to be in close relationship with tritium distribution in environmental samples such as soils and plant leaves. The HTO concentration was the highest in surface soil water and plant leaves at a given sampling point. This result suggests that the concentration of tritium in surface soil water and in plants tissue free water essentially reflects the surrounding atmospheric tritium concentration. OBT concentrations in soil were measured at the historical HT release site, Plant Road, Mattawa Road and three background sites near CRL. The top layer of soil generally had the highest OBT concentration among collected soil samples. This result suggests that OBT concentrations are different from HTO concentrations at the same site and can be representative of previously released environmental tritium at the sampling point. The relationship between the OBT concentration in soil and the amount of tritium released into the environment will be useful for the evaluation of environmental tritium effects and the fate of tritium in the terrestrial ecosystem. The study points out that HTO shows shorter-term dynamic conditions, whereas OBT shows longer-term steady-state conditions.

TOCATTA: a dynamic transfer model of 3H from the atmosphere to soil–plant systems

This paper describes a dynamic compartment model (TOCATTA) that simulates tritium transfer in agricultural plants of several categories including vegetables, pasture and annual crops, exposed to time-varying HTO concentrations of water vapour in the air and possibly in irrigation and rainwater. Consideration is also given to the transfer pathways of HTO in soil. Though the transfer of tritium is quite complex, from its release into the environment to its absorption and its incorporation within the organic material of living organisms, the TOCATTA model is relatively simple, with a limited number of compartments and input parameters appropriate to its use in an operational mode. In this paper, we took the opportunity to have data obtained on an ornamental plant – an indoor palm tree – within an industrial building where tritium was released accidentally over several weeks (or months). More specifically, the model's ability to provide hindsight on the chronology of the release scenario is discussed by comparing model predictions of TFWT and OBT activity concentrations in the plant leaves with measurements performed on three different leaves characterized by different developmental stages. The data-model comparison shows some limitations, mainly because of a lack of knowledge about the initial conditions of the accident and when it actually started and about the processes involved in the transfer of tritium. Efforts are needed in both experimental and modelling areas for future evaluation of tritium behaviour in agricultural soil and plants exposed to gaseous HTO releases and/or to irrigation with contaminated water.

Relation between the tritium in continuous atmospheric release and the tritium contents of fruits and tubers

Concentrations of organically bound tritium (OBT) and tissue-free water tritium (TFWT, also referred to as HTO) in fruits and tubers were measured at a garden plot in the vicinity of the source of chronic airborne tritium emissions during the 2008, 2010, and 2011 growing seasons. A continuous record of HTO concentration in the air moisture was reconstructed from the continuous record of Ar-41 ambient gamma radiation, as well as from frequent measurements of air HTO by active samplers at the garden plot and Ar-41 and air HTO monitoring data from the same sector. Performed measurements were used for testing the modified Specific Activity (SA) model based on the assumption that the average air HTO during the pod-filling period provides an appropriate basis for estimating the levels of OBT present in pods, fruits and tubers. It is established that the relationship between the OBT of fruits and tubers and the average air HTO from a 15–20 day wide window centred at the peak of the pod-filling period is consistent throughout the three analysed years, and could be expressed by the fruit or tuber's OBT to air-HTO ratio of 0.93 ± 0.21. For all three years, the concentration of HTO in fruits and tubers was found to be related to levels of HTO in the air, as averaged within a 3-day pre-harvest window. The variability in the ratio of plant HTO to air HTO appears to be three times greater than that for the OBT of the fruits and tubers. It is concluded that the OBT of fruits and tubers adequately follows an empirical relationship based on the average level of air HTO from the pod-filling window, and therefore is clearly in line with the modified SA approach.

Organically bound tritium (OBT) formation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): HTO and OBT-spiked food exposure experiments

In order to determine the rate of organically bound tritium (OBT) formation, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to tritiated water (HTO) or OBT-spiked food. The HTO (in water) exposure study was conducted using a tritium activity concentration of approximately 7000Bq/L and the OBT (in food) exposure study was conducted using a tritium activity concentration of approximately 30,000Bq/L. Fish in both studies were expected to be exposed to similar tritium levels assuming 25% incorporation of the tritiated amino acids found in the food. Four different sampling campaigns of HTO exposure (Day 10, 30, 70, 140) and five different sampling campaigns of OBT-spiked food exposure (Day 9, 30, 70, 100, 140) were conducted to measure HTO and OBT activity concentrations in fish tissues. OBT depuration was also evaluated over a period of 30 days following the 140d exposure studies. The results suggested that the OBT formation rate was slower when the fish were exposed to HTO compared to when the fish were ingesting OBT. In addition, the results indicated that OBT can bioaccumulate in fish tissues following OBT-spiked food exposure.

Importance of root HTO uptake in controlling land-surface tritium dynamics after an-acute HT deposition: a numerical experiment

To investigate the role of belowground root uptake of tritiated water (HTO) in controlling land-surface tritium (T) dynamics, a sophisticated numerical model predicting tritium behavior in an atmosphere-vegetation-soil system was developed, and numerical experiments were conducted using the model. The developed model covered physical tritiated hydrogen (HT) transport in a multilayered atmosphere and soil, as well as microbial oxidation of HT to HTO in the soil, and it was incorporated into a well-established HTO-transfer organically bound tritium (OBT)-formation model. The model performance was tested through the simulation of an existing HT-release experiment. Numerical experiments involving a hypothetical acute HT exposure to a grassland field with a range of rooting depths showed that the HTO release from the leaves to the atmosphere, driven by the root uptake of the deposited HTO, can exceed the HTO evaporation from the ground surface to the atmosphere when root water absorption preferentially occurs beneath the ground surface. Such enhanced soil-leaf-atmosphere HTO transport, caused by the enhanced root HTO uptake, increased HTO concentrations in both the surface atmosphere and in the cellular water of the leaf. Consequently, leaf OBT assimilation calculated for shallow rooting depths increased by nearly an order of magnitude compared to that for large rooting depths.