Effects of tritium on the human organism

The radiation and transmutation effects of tritium are studied on the basis of documents found in the literature. Only few examples can be cited indicating the effect of tritiated water and tritiated thymidine in mammals. Direct extrapolation from such data to the human being are not permissible. Radiation effects from incorporated tritiated water, are comparable to those caused by an equivalent dose from external X radiation. Conventional dosimetry is not applicable in the case of heterogeneous distribution of tritium within living organisms. Late effects and dose calculations are discussed based on the critical cell concept