Determination of total tritium in urine from residents living in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Qinshan, China

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Jan 16;12(1):888-94. doi: 10.3390/ijerph120100888.

Abstract

To estimate the tritium doses of the residents living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant, urine samples of 34 adults were collected from residents living near the Qinshan nuclear power plant. The tritium-in-urine (HTO plus OBT) was measured by liquid scintillation counting. The doses of tritium-in-urine from participants living at 2, 10 and 22 km were in a range of 1.26-6.73 Bq/L, 1.31-3.09 Bq/L and 2.21-3.81 Bq/L, respectively, while the average activity concentrations of participants from the three groups were 3.53 ± 1.62, 2.09 ± 0.62 and 2.97 ± 0.78 Bq/L, respectively. The personal committed effective doses for males were 2.5 ± 1.7 nSv and for females they were 2.9 ± 1.3 nSv. These results indicate that tritium concentrations in urine samples from residents living at 2 km from a nuclear power plant are significantly higher than those at 10 km. It may be the downwind direction that caused a higher dose in participants living at 22 km. All the measured doses of tritium-in-urine are in a background level range.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • China
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nuclear Power Plants*
  • Radiation Dosage*
  • Radiation Exposure*
  • Radiation Monitoring
  • Tritium / urine*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Tritium