• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.97-101
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• 1997

During the period of March 1995 to December 1995, tritium concentrations of tritiated water vapor (HTO) and tritiated hydrogen (HT) in the atmosphere in Taejon were measured to evaluate present background levels of tritium in the atmosphere. Air samples were collected continuously for three weeks with a sampling system for tritium in the atmosphere and were analyzed by a liquid scintillation counting system. The range of the atmospheric HTO concentrations was 3.2-36 mBq $m^{-3}$ with a mean value of 16.2 mBq $m^{-3}$. The atmospheric HTO concentrations were the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. This trend was similar to the variation of atmospheric absolute humidity. The specific activities of tritium in atmospheric water vapor in Taejon ranged from 0.62 Bq $L^{-1}$ to 3.82 Bq $L^{-1}$ with a mean value of 2.04 Bq $L^{-1}$. The atmospheric HT concentrations were in the range of 35.7 mBq $m^{-3}$ to 48.9 mBq $m^{-3}$ with a mean value of 41.1 mBq $m^{-3}$.