• \
    Start Submission Become a Reviewer

    Reading: A history of atmospheric tritium gas (HT) 1950–2002

    Download

     A- A+
    Alt. Display

    Original Research Papers

    A history of atmospheric tritium gas (HT) 1950–2002

    Authors:

    James D. Happell ,

    Division of Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, US
    X close

    Göte Östlund,

    Division of Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, US
    X close

    Allen S. Mason

    Division of Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, US
    X close

    Abstract

    Data collected as a part of this study from 1968–2002 and data from other studies from 1950–1967 show that themaximum atmospheric concentration of tritium gas (HT) occurred in the early to mid 1970s, which corresponds to theera of frequent, large underground nuclear tests. These data clearly show that the major source of HT to the atmospherebetween 1962 and the early 1990s was the underground testing of nuclear weapons. Samples collected at both ourAlaska and Miami stations clearly show marked increases in the autumn of each year between 1970 and 1975 that wereassociated with large underground explosions conducted by the former Soviet Union at the Novaya Zemlya test site.Other significant sources of HT include accidental releases of HT used in the manufacture and maintenance of nuclearweapons stockpiles, the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods and emissions from nuclear power plants. Since theearly 1990s, when underground testing largely ceased, emission estimates from our data agree very well with UnitedNations estimates of worldwide releases from fuel reprocessing and nuclear power plants, suggesting that the nuclear power industry is now the major source of HT to the atmosphere.

    How to Cite: Happell, J.D., Östlund, G. and Mason, A.S., 2004. A history of atmospheric tritium gas (HT) 1950–2002. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 56(3), pp.183–193. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v56i3.16422
    1
    Views
      Published on 01 Jan 2004
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 21 Jan 2004            Submitted on 13 Jun 2003

    References

    1. Adushkin , V. V. and Leith , W . 2001. The Containment of Soviet Under-ground Nuclear Explosions. United States Geological Survey Open File Report 01 – 312  

    2. Begemann, E and Friedman, I . 1959. Tritium and deuterium content of atmospheric hydrogen. Z. Naturforsch. 14a , 1024 – 1031 .  

    3. Begemann, E and Friedman, I . 1968 . Isotopic composition of atmospheric hydrogen . J. Geophys. Res . 73 , 1139 – 1147 .  

    4. Begemann, E and Libby, W. E 1957 . Continental water balance, ground water inventory and storage times, surface ocean mixing rates and world wide water circulation patterns from cosmic-ray and bomb tritium . Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 12 , 277 – 296 .  

    5. Ehhalt , D. H . 1966 . Tritium and deuterium in atmospheric hydrogen . Tellus 18 , 249 – 255 .  

    6. Ehhalt , D. , Israel , G. , Roether , W. and Stich , W . 1963 . Tritium and deuterium content of atmospheric hydrogen . J. Geophys. Res . 68 , 3747 – 3751 .  

    7. Ehhalt , D. H. , Davidson , D. A. , Cantrell , C. A. , Friedman , I. and Tyler , S . 1989 . The kinetic isotope effect in the reaction of 112 with OH . J. Geophys. Res . 94 , 9831 – 9836 .  

    8. Fallon , R. D . 1982 . Molecular tritium uptake in southeastern US soils . Soil Biol. Biochem . 14 , 553 – 556 .  

    9. Faltings , V. and Harteck , P . 1950 . Der Tritium gehalt der Atmosphare . Z. Naturforsch . 52 , 438 – 439 .  

    10. Fireman , E. L. and Rowland , E S . 1961 . An additional measurement of the tritium content of atmospheric hydrogen of 1949 . J. Geophys. Res . 66 , 4321 .  

    11. Friedman , I. and Scholz , T. G . 1974 . Isotopic composition of atmospheric hydrogen, 1967-1969 . J. Geophys. Res . 79 , 785 – 788 .  

    12. Gerst , P. and Quay , P . 2001 . Deuterium component of the global molecular hydrogen cycle . J. Geophys. Res . 106 ( D5 ), 5021 – 5031 .  

    13. Gonsior , B . 1959 . Tritium-anstieg im atmospharischen Wasserstoff . Naturwissenschaften 46 , 201 – 202 .  

    14. Gonsior , B. and Friedman , I . 1962 . Tritium and Deuterium im atmospharischen Wasserstoff . Z. Naturforsch. A . 17 , 1088 – 1091 .  

    15. Grosse , A. V. , Johnston , W. M. and Wolfgang , R. L . 1951 . Tritium in nature . Science 113 , 1 – 2 .  

    16. Grosse , A. V. , Kirshenbaum , A. D. , Kulp , J. L. and Broecker , W. S . 1954 . The natural tritium content of atmospheric hydrogen . Phys. Re v . 93 , 250 – 251 .  

    17. Jacobson , W. R . 1976. Environmental Effects of a Tritium Gas Release from the SRP on December 31, 1975. United States Department of Energy Report DP-1415.  

    18. Kaufman , S. and Libby , W. E 1954 . The natural distribution of tritium . Phys. Re v . 93 , 1337 – 1344 .  

    19. Layton , B.R . 1969 . Tritium in atmospheric hydrogen and atmospheric water , MS thesis , University of Arkansas , USA .  

    20. Lucas , L. L. and Unterweger , M. P . 2000 . Comprehensive review and critical evaluation of the half-life of tritium . J. Res. Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol . 105 , 541 – 549 .  

    21. Marter , W. L . 1974. Environmental Effects of a Tritium Gas Release from the SRP on May 2, 1974. United States Department of Energy Report DP-1369.  

    22. Mason , A. S. 1977. Atmospheric HT and HTO 4: estimation of atmospheric hydrogen residence time from interhemispheric tritium gas transport. J. Geophys. Res . 82 , 5913 – 5916 .  

    23. Mason , A. S. and östlund, H. G. 1974 . Atmospheric HT and HTO: Major HT injections into the atmosphere 1973 . Geophys. Res. Lett . 1 , 247 – 248 .  

    24. Mason , A. S. , Hut , G. and Telegadas , K. 1982. Stratospheric HTO and 95Zr residence times. Tellus 34, 369 – 375.  

    25. McFarlane , J. C. , Rogers , R. D. and Bradley , D. V . 1979 . Tritium oxidation in surface soils. A survey of soils near five nuclear fuel reprocessing plants . Environ. Sci. Tech . 13 , 607 – 608 .  

    26. Mikhail , V. N . 1999 . Catalog of Worldwide Nuclear Testing . Begell House , New York .  

    27. Novelli , P. C. , Lang , P. M. , Masarie , K. A. , Hurst , D. E , Myers , R. and Elkins , J. W . 1999 . Molecular hydrogen in the troposphere: global budget and distribution . J. Geophys. Res . 104(D23), 30 427-30 444 .  

    28. östlund , H. G. and Dorsey , H. G . 1977 . Rapid electrolytic enrichment and hydrogen gas proportional counting of tritium. In: Low-radioactivity Measurements and Applications: Proc. Int. Conf. High Tatras , 1975 , Slovenske Pedagogocke Nakladatelstvo , Bratislava .  

    29. östlund , H. G. and Mason , A. S . 1974 . Atmospheric HT and HTO: I. Experimental procedures and tropospheric data 1968-1972 . Tellus 26 , 91 – 102 .  

    30. östlund , H. G. and Mason , A. S . 1977 . Atmospheric distribution of HTO and HT. In: Low-radioactivity Measurements and Applications: Proc. Int. Conf. High Tatras , 1975 , Slovenske Pedagogocke Nakladatelstvo , Bratislava .  

    31. östlund , H. G. and Mason , A. S . 1985. Atmospheric tritium 1968-1984 . In: Tritium Laboratory Data Report Vol. 14, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Miami, FL .  

    32. östlund , H. G. and Werner , E . 1962 . The electrolytic enrichment of tritium and deuterium for natural tritium measurements . In: Tritium in the Physical and Biological Sciences. International Atomic Energy Agency , Vienna , 95 – 104 .  

    33. Schoengold , C. R. , DeMarre , M. E. and Kirckwood , E. M . 1996. Radiological Effluents release from U.S. Continental Tests 1961 Through 1992, United States Department of Energy Report NV-317 (Rev. 1).  

    34. Tate , P. J . 1999. Environmental Monitoring Plan. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Report UCRL-ID-106132 Rev 2.  

    35. UNSCEAR 2000 . Sources and Effects ofionizing Radiation: United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation , Volume I: Sources , United Nations , New York .  

    Jump to Discussions Related content
    comments powered by Disqus