Opinion | More transparency is needed on the impact of tritium

As radioactive hydrogen, tritium replaces stable hydrogen in water, making the water itself radioactive. Tritium will bind to carbon and bioaccumulate in the food chain rather than dissipate. Chronic low exposures to radiation are harmful, as health damage accumulates with each exposure. Over time, as tritium bioconcentrates and biomagnifies traveling up the food chain in aquatic life, biodiversity and the whole ecological structure could start to suffer.

Much of this impact can take decades to surface; and the evidence pointing to tritium exposure as the culprit could have vanished. Finally, tritium exists only in minuscule amounts in nature; adding more tritium will increase the risk of disease. Childhood cancers are elevated around nuclear reactors, an impact for which tritium (routinely released from reactors) could be responsible. It is less expensive for nuclear proponents — and less frightening for the public — to believe tritium is harmless. But believing it doesn’t make it so.

Cindy Folkers, Takoma Park

The writer is a radiation and health specialist.