Tritiated Water

[Myung Chul Jo <mjo@scs.unr.edu>]

This University has a couple of projects involving H-3 removal from H-3
contaminated water.  I had not heard clear explanation how the H-3 water
molercules behave differently from those ordinary water from the
researchers.  I feel they are wasting their time and my time.  The
researchers claim tritiated water behave differently than regular water
but that's all they normally say.  I hope I'm wrong.  I have seen
reduction in H-3 activity by factor of 1.5-2 sometimes after water was
processed.  This confuses me and my standing regarding
this issue.  I know because our HP lab provide sample counting.  I am not
in a
position to discuss anything about the processes.    

I would like to know the different characteristics between tritiated water
molecules and regular water molecules without H-3.  I would like to
clarify my stand for myself in this issue.  

Do the triated water molecules behave different from water molecules
wothout H-3? If so, How?  I guess H-3 atom could be 1 or 2 per each
contaminated water molecule.  Could the differences in molecular weight
make any different?

This is only my opinion...
Myung Chul Jo <mjo@scs.unr.edu>
(702) 784-4540(voice)
(702) 784-4553(fax)