Health Effects of Tritium
How does tritium affect people's health?
As with all ionizing radiation, exposure to tritium increases the risk of developing cancer. However, because it emits very low energy radiation and leaves the body relatively quickly, for a given amount of activity ingested, tritium is one of the least dangerous radionuclides. Since tritium is almost always found as water, it goes directly into soft tissues and organs. The associated dose to these tissues are generally uniform and dependent on the tissues' water content.
How is the "one of the least dangerous radionuclides" simply not dangerous?
What does tritium do once it gets into the body?
Tritium is almost always found as water, or "tritiated" water. Once tritium enters the body, it disperses quickly and is uniformly distributed throughout the body. Tritium is excreted through the urine within a month or so after ingestion. Organically bound tritium (tritium that is incorporated in organic compounds) can remain in the body for a longer period.
Tritium atoms can exchange with any hydrogen atoms. If the hydrogen atom is part of an organic molecule, the tritium becomes 'organically bound' and is transported with the molecule rather than moving freely like water.
With a half-life of 12.3 years and the fact that tritiated water molecules can replace any of the H2O molecules in any bodily component, that tritium atoms can replace hydrogen in any chemical reaction, I don't give a rat's ass if it emits a "weak beta particle" as long as that beta particle can be released right next to my DNA.
You are nothing, if not persistent in your defense of the nuclear industry.
The credible links that popped up on the first page of a Yahoo search for "tritium exposure":
http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/radionuclides/tritium.html#inthebody
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/tritium-radiation-fs.html
http://ottawariverkeeper.ca/news/danger_of_tritium_exposure_underrated_report_says
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritium#Health_risks
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