Tritium monitoring

Tritium or H-3 is present in many nuclear processes and in in air is mostly available in the form of water vapor (H1H3O) or gaseous hydrogen (H1H3). Since the weak 18 keV Beta particles emitted by Tritium have a very short range, only a few millimeters in air, windowless detectors must be used, i.e. the air to be measured has to be added to the counting gas.

For a continuous measurement, the counter tube must therefore operate in the flow-through mode.

Contamination of tritium is measured with wipe test and detected in liquid scintillator or beta counter.