Laboratory reports tritium in discharged effluent

Contact: James E. Rickman, jamesr@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9203 (02-093)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Aug. 15, 2002 -- Officials at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory have reported the presence of tritium in water discharged from an outfall at Technical Area 21.

The tritium concentrations found in the discharged effluent do not pose a threat to the public or the environment.

The Laboratory reported the findings to the New Mexico Environment Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and DOE regulators late last week after an analysis of the outfall effluent showed the presence of tritium higher than background concentrations. A subsequent analysis of the original sample confirmed the presence of tritium.

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is used for a number of processes at the Laboratory, and is widely used in a number of consumer applications such as self-illuminating exit signs, gun sights and watch dials.

The tritium was discovered during routine annual sampling of the TA-21 outfall, and is believed to have originated from the Tritium System Test Assembly, a facility scheduled to be deactivated within the year and which has been used for tritium research for nearly two decades.

The Laboratory has halted discharges to the outfall from the tritium facility since the discovery.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.