Tritium ordinary hydrogen, but they do fuse the small minority of deuterium nuclei. Like the other isotopes of hydrogen, tritium is difficult to confine. Rubber, plastic, and some kinds of steel are all somewhat permeable. This has raised concerns that if tritium were used in large quantities, in particular for fusion reactors, it may contribute to radioactive contamination, although its short half-life should prevent significant long-term accumulation in the atmosphere. The high levels of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing that took place prior to the enactment of the Partial Test Ban Treaty proved to be unexpectedly useful to oceanographers. The high levels
Isotope geochemistry usually is given as a multiple of the present atmospheric ratio (Ra). Common values for R/Ra: He/He isotope chemistry is being used to date groundwaters, estimate groundwater flow rates, track water pollution, and provide insights into hydrothermal processes, igneous geology and ore genesis. U-series isotopes are unique amongst radiogenic isotopes because, being in the U-series decay chains, they are both radiogenic and radioactive. Because their abundances are normally quoted as activity ratios rather than atomic ratios, they are best considered separately from the other radiogenic isotope systems. Uranium is well mixed in the ocean, and its decay produces Pa and