Tritium radioluminescent devices, Health and Safety Manual

Health effects triggered by tritium: how do we get public understanding based on scientifically supported evidence?

“…In the second case, a factory worker who ingested tritium integrated into luminous paints over three years, with an estimated accumulated dose of 10–20 Sv, died of pancytopenia after following a similar disease course [ 15 ]. It should be noted that these two people were also exposed to radioisotopes other than tritium over a long period [ 17 ].…”

Study of Traces of Tritium at the World Trade Center

“…Tritium is produced naturally in the atmosphere from the reactions of cosmic ray protons and neutrons with N and O nuclei, as well as by ternary fission in geological formations (12,13,14). However, the bulk contribution to environmental accumulation comes from the nuclear testing in the atmosphere, nuclear fuel cycle, and some from consumer products.…”

“…The difference between tritium RL devices and CRT tubes is that, in the former, β particles from tritium decay, rather than accelerated electrons, generate light in the phosphor (14). ZnS is the most widely used phosphor and is activated by an impurity.…”

“…The polymer-based RLs are used in emergency signs and as paints in watches. When GTLS tubes age, they acquire a small percentage (<2%) of HTO due to radiolytic reactions with the phosphor binder (14,20,21).…”

“…Some of that tritium would diffuse from the debris and be dispersed in the air, while some would remain trapped in the debris. While oxidation of molecular tritium is slow in the air, tritium is known to adsorb on surfaces and exchange with the adsorbed monolayer of water to form HTO due to a catalytic action of the surface (14,51,52,53). At elevated tritium concentrations, radiolytic and hot-atom chemistry effects also assist in the oxidation (21).…”