Toxicity and dosimetry of tritium

Tritium doses to the general public are very low (currently about 0.2 μSv per year). Radiation doses from tritium to members of the public living in the vicinity of a CANDU power station are higher but rarely exceed 20 μSv per year or 1% of normal exposures to radiation from all natural sources, but doses to some radiation workers can approach ten mSv per year. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of tritium beta rays varies appreciably depending upon the biological endpoint. Observed RBE values at low doses and low dose-rates are usually about 2 to 3 when tritium beta rays are compared to 60Co gamma rays but are closer to 1 than to 2 when compared to 200 kVp X-rays. This conclusion is supported by microdosimetric considerations of the quality of tritium beta rays, 60Co gamma rays and X-rays. Since X-rays have traditionally been accepted as reference radiation by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, it seems reasonable that the quality factor (Q) assigned to tritium beta rays should be close to one. Recommended procedures in Canada for estimation of effective dose equivalents from exposures to HTO and HT assume that Q = 1 and that body water represents 67% of the mass of soft tissue; they take into account conversions of HTO to appear to be reasonable for radiation protection purposes when the source of exposure is HTO or HT, but will not be adequate for exposures to other tritiated compounds. (modified author abstract) (137 refs., 11 figs., 12 tabs.)