Radioactive waste: Tritium
Tritium is the heaviest isotope of hydrogen. Tritium is dangerous when inhaled or consumed in contaminated molecules such as water. The tritium atoms produce beta radiation which damage organisms from the inside, as the body absorbs these atoms.
Tritium is of particular concern because of the long half-life: 12.2 years. So a leak into the environment will poison the water with beta-emitting radiation for many years.
How much tritium is produced by the reactor?
Tritium is produced by the VIPR reactor in a heavy water tank which surrounds the core. The Meitner-1 auxillary systems documentation [https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2525/ML25255A212.pdf] describes the need for a tritium cleanup system:
The principal radiation hazard associated with the heavy-water reflector is tritium (H-3), which is produced by the activation of deuterium and removed by decay. However, because the half-life of H-3 is 12.2 years, the concentration will rise nearly linearly and without bound. The presence of H-3 in the heavy water necessitates precautions to minimize exposure during both routine maintenance and unforeseen events, such as a spill of heavy water
How is tritium regularly removed from the system?
This is required in the design, but it is not clear how this is done, what procedures are followed, and how contamination is avoided.
Where does it go once removed? How is it transported?
We might assume from Oklo’s recent response that tritium is held onsite until it can be securely and safely transported to a waste facility.