Tritium Distribution in the Environment in the Vicinity of a Chronic Atmospheric Source - Assessment of the Steady State Hypothesis

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a major radionuclide production center. Tritium has been released to the atmosphere over the 36 year period of operation. The tritiated water concentration of the atmosphere, rain, vegetation and food have been routinely monitored during this period. Special studies have been made of tritium in soils and in the organic fractions of these same materials. The available data suggest that the average tritium concentration in the components of the terrestrial environment have approached a steady state with the two main sources of tritium, rainfall and atmospheric water vapor.