Future tritium monitoring around nuclear power plant

The tritium activity level in the environment around nuclear power plants is gradually increasing, although other nuclide activities are decreasing. The reason is that there is no proper technology to reduce its volume and hence it is released into the environment. Tritium concentration in the environmental samples taken from around the nuclear power plant is higher than the normal environmental level. Therefore, tritium is one of the most significant nuclides from the viewpoint of future environmental monitoring. Tritium, however, is not a remarkable nuclide, judging from the exposure risk. But, public acceptance is another matter. We have over twenty years experience in radiation monitoring around the nuclear power plants. The main objective of this paper is not to describe a new technique of tritium monitoring, but to discuss the procedure of monitoring that is necessary, and how to address the anxiety of the public. In this report on future tritium monitoring, types of environmental samples, the sampling period, and appropriate interpretations are presented. (author)