Tritium Activity in Garden Produce from Pembroke in 2007 and Dose to the Public

About the report

The Tritium Activity in Garden Produce from Pembroke in 2007 and Dose to the Public report is one of a series of research studies being produced by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) under its Tritium Studies Project. The goal of the research is to expand the body of knowledge on tritium and to further enhance regulatory oversight of tritium-related activities in Canada.

Highlights

The report draws the following conclusions:

• Tritium dose to the public in 2007 from the consumption of local Pembroke produce was less than 0.004 mSv per year. This is well below the public dose limit of 1 mSv per year and several orders of magnitude below doses known to cause health effects.
• This study found expected levels of tritium in local garden produce grown in Pembroke in 2005 and 2007.
• There was no evidence for significant accumulation of tritium in surface soils in 2007 after 16 years of tritium releases from the SRBT facility.
• The dose resulting from the consumption of tritium in fruits and vegetables grown in Pembroke declines considerably with increasing distance of gardens from the SRBT facility.
• Health risks in people exposed chronically to radiation doses of approximately 100 mSv or less cannot be distinguished from similar health risks in the general Canadian population.

Read the report: Tritium Activity in Garden Produce from Pembroke in 2007 and Dose to the Public (PDF)

 

Related links

• Tritium studies