tritium

Also known as H-3, hydrogen-3, 3H, T, atomic tritium, tritium atom, ³H

Tritium () or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a half-life of 12.32 years. The tritium nucleus (t, sometimes called a triton) contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of the common isotope hydrogen-1 (protium) contains one proton and no neutrons, and that of non-radioactive hydrogen-2 (deuterium) contains one proton and one neutron. Tritium is the heaviest particle-bound isotope of hydrogen. It is one of the few nuclides with a distinct name. The use of the name hydrogen-3, though more systematic, is much less common.

AI overview

Tritium is a rare, radioactive form of hydrogen that decays slowly over time, with a half-life of about 12 years. It differs from common hydrogen because its nucleus contains an extra neutron, making it heavier and unstable compared to the ordinary hydrogen found in water and other everyday substances.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Isotope.image: Tritium-Glowring - 320s.jpg
Isotope.name: Tritium
Isotope.alternate_names: hydrogen-3, T, T
Isotope.mass_number: 3
Isotope.symbol: H
Isotope.num_neutrons: 2
Isotope.num_protons: 1
Isotope.abundance: 10 in hydrogen
Isotope.halflife: 12.32 years
Isotope.decay_mode1: Beta emission
Isotope.decay_energy1: 0.018592
Isotope.decay_product: Helium-3
Isotope.decay_symbol: He
Isotope.decay_mass: 3
Isotope.mass: 3.01604928
Isotope.spin:  ħ

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

77,450 papers

TRITIUM IN THE ENVIRONMENT.Radiation protection dosimetry · 2022Momoshima NDOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncac002
An updated review on tritium in the environment.ReviewJournal of environmental radioactivity · 2018Eyrolle F, Ducros L, Le Dizès S et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.11.001
Tritium radiobiology and relative biological effectiveness.ReviewHealth physics · 1993Straume T, Carsten ALDOI: 10.1097/00004032-199312000-00005
Tritium sampling and measurement.ReviewHealth physics · 1993Wood MJ, McElroy RG, Surette RA et al.DOI: 10.1097/00004032-199312000-00002
Organically bound tritium.ReviewHealth physics · 1993Diabaté S, Strack SDOI: 10.1097/00004032-199312000-00008
Overview of tritium: characteristics, sources, and problems.ReviewHealth physics · 1993Okada S, Momoshima NDOI: 10.1097/00004032-199312000-00001
Tritium transfer from seawater into marine organisms TFWT.Radiation protection dosimetry · 2024Shibata T, Omizu Y, Furuta T et al.DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncae168
Tritium dosimetry.Nuclear medicine communications · 2005Elliott ADOI: 10.1097/00006231-200506000-00001

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Mass: 3.01604928199
Image: Gaseous tritium light source.jpg

Show 10 more facts

neutron number: 2
Commons category: Tritium
atomic number: 1
half-life: 12.32
binding energy: 8481.795
spin quantum number: 0.5
parity quantum number: 1
mass excess: 14949.80993
chemical formula: H
canonical SMILES: [3H]

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~35 min read

Article

34 sections

Contents

History
Decay
Production
Lithium
Boron
Deuterium
Fission
Fukushima Daiichi
Helium-3
Cosmic rays
Production history
USA
Properties
Health risks
Environmental contamination
Regulatory limits
Use
Radiometric assays in biology and medicine
Self-powered lighting
Nuclear weapons
Neutron initiator
Boosting
Tritium in hydrogen bomb secondaries
Controlled nuclear fusion
Electrical power source
Use in electron tubes
Use as an oceanic transient tracer
North Atlantic Ocean
Pacific and Indian oceans
Mississippi River system
See also
Footnotes
References
External links

Naturally occurring tritium is extremely rare on Earth. The atmosphere has only trace amounts, formed by the interaction of its gases with cosmic rays. It can be produced artificially by irradiation of lithium or lithium-bearing ceramic pebbles in a nuclear reactor and is a low-abundance byproduct in normal operations of nuclear reactors.