Environmental impact of nuclear power 20 other US nuclear plants in recent years, has kindled doubts about the reliability, durability, and maintenance of aging nuclear installations in the United States. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that emits a low-energy beta particle and is usually measured in becquerels (i.e. atoms decaying per second) per liter (Bq/L). Tritium can be contained in water released from a nuclear plant. The primary concern for tritium release is the presence in drinking water, in addition to biological magnification leading to tritium in crops and animals consumed for food. Tritium, the mass 3 isotope of hydrogen is deliberately created
Tritium radioluminescence meters. The average such GTLS has a useful life of 10–20 years. As the tritium component of the lighting is often more expensive than the rest of the watch itself, manufacturers try to use as little as possible. Being an unstable isotope with a half-life of 12.32 years, the rate of beta emissions decreases by half in that period. Additionally, phosphor degradation will cause the brightness of a tritium tube to drop by more than half in that period. The more tritium that is initially placed in the tube, the brighter it is to begin with, and the longer its