Apparatus for removal and recovery of tritium from light and heavy water

A method and apparatus for removing tritium from heavy water and light water comprising contacting tritiated feed water in a catalyst column in countercurrent flow with hydrogen gas originating from an electrolysis cell so as to enrich this feed water with tritium from the electrolytic hydrogen gas and passing the tritium enriched water to an electrolysis cell wherein the electrolytic hydrogen gas is generated and then fed upwards through the catalyst column. The tritium content of the hydrogen gas leaving the top of the enricher catalyst column is further reduced in a stripper column containing catalyst which transfers the tritium to a countercurrent flow of liquid water