Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima nuclear plant

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by credit_guy on Thursday May 25, 2023 @09:07PM (#36078538)

Tritium cannot bio-accumulate, because it is just hydrogen. In all chemical reactions tritium behaves identically with regular hydrogen.

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Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by panny on Thursday May 25, 2023 @10:34PM (#36079070)

Sorry for the confusion, but I am not saying

>Tritium cannot bio-accumulate

I'm simply agreeing that if it is possible, then the justification for release is invalidated. If you would like to argue your point with the commenter I replied to, you are welcome to do that.

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Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by jsocuwl on Thursday May 25, 2023 @10:56PM (#36079228)

I was refering to organically bound tritium (to food). This one takes longer to evacuate and can decay inside the body.

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Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by robocat on Thursday May 25, 2023 @11:29PM (#36079463)

> In all chemical reactions tritium behaves identically with regular hydrogen.

False. For example there is a an increases the strength of water's hydrogen–oxygen bonds. Tritium acts similarly to Protium, however it has chemical differences (ignoring the radioactivity).

Even Deuterium has enough chemical difference to be poisonous in large quantities, even though it is not radioactive. Wikipedia: “When a large fraction of water (> 50%) in higher organisms is replaced by heavy water, the result is cell dysfunction and death.”

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