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Tritium in the Environment
192
Book Reviews
Tritium in the Environment. NCRP Report No. 62. Published by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. This report is written by a highly knowledgeable group of scientists and reflects their wide range of interests. The descriptive material from NCRP accompanying the report says that it "'considers and evaluates the available information on tritium in terms of its physical properties, production sources, physical transport, biological behaviour, projected future production, waste management, and longterm implications of tritium in the environment." Which would appear to be at least as much as any reasonable person would want to know on the subject. Nevertheless, it complements two further NCRP reports: Tritium Measurement Techniques (Report No. 37) and Tritium and Other
Radionuclide Labeled Organic Compounds Incorporated in Genetic Material (Report No. 63). It is well written and interesting, directed as are most NCRP Reports to scientifically knowledgeable nonexperts. If I were to summarize the objective of the report it would be "to come to grips with the future human health implications of technologically enhanced production of tritium."
The conclusion is reassuring: "By all contemporary criteria the dose from tritium will be insignificant for the foreseeable future." Because of the prestige of the NCRP, such a statement, set in the context of the nuclear-power debate, may have political implications. It seems possible that a different group of e~perts could come to a different conclusion. For example, enormous amounts of money are being spent on the development of thermonuclear power. Undoubtedly the authors considered this subject but rejected mentioning it, perhaps because of uncertainties in when it would become available and how much tritium it would contribute to the environment. To a non-expert, it would seem to be a lot I would like to be reassured! Nevertheless, for those people who wish to understand where tritium comes from now, where it goes and what it does to human beings, the report is to be recommended. J. M. R. Ht rCHINSON
Natiot~d Bl~reau ol Standards W~*shimltotl, D.('.
Book Reviews
Tritium in the Environment. NCRP Report No. 62. Published by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. This report is written by a highly knowledgeable group of scientists and reflects their wide range of interests. The descriptive material from NCRP accompanying the report says that it "'considers and evaluates the available information on tritium in terms of its physical properties, production sources, physical transport, biological behaviour, projected future production, waste management, and longterm implications of tritium in the environment." Which would appear to be at least as much as any reasonable person would want to know on the subject. Nevertheless, it complements two further NCRP reports: Tritium Measurement Techniques (Report No. 37) and Tritium and Other
Radionuclide Labeled Organic Compounds Incorporated in Genetic Material (Report No. 63). It is well written and interesting, directed as are most NCRP Reports to scientifically knowledgeable nonexperts. If I were to summarize the objective of the report it would be "to come to grips with the future human health implications of technologically enhanced production of tritium."
The conclusion is reassuring: "By all contemporary criteria the dose from tritium will be insignificant for the foreseeable future." Because of the prestige of the NCRP, such a statement, set in the context of the nuclear-power debate, may have political implications. It seems possible that a different group of e~perts could come to a different conclusion. For example, enormous amounts of money are being spent on the development of thermonuclear power. Undoubtedly the authors considered this subject but rejected mentioning it, perhaps because of uncertainties in when it would become available and how much tritium it would contribute to the environment. To a non-expert, it would seem to be a lot I would like to be reassured! Nevertheless, for those people who wish to understand where tritium comes from now, where it goes and what it does to human beings, the report is to be recommended. J. M. R. Ht rCHINSON
Natiot~d Bl~reau ol Standards W~*shimltotl, D.('.