Abstract :
The movement of tritium through the environment, from an initial atmospheric release to selected end points in the food chain, involves a series of closely coupled and complex processes which are, consequently, difficult to model. TRIF (tritium transfer into food) provides a semi-empirical approach to this transport problem, which can be adjusted to bridge the gap between simple steady state approximations and a fully coupled model of tritium dispersion and migration (Higgins et al., 1996). TRIF provides a time-dependent description of the behaviour of tritium in the form of tritium gas (HT) and tritiated water (HTO) as it enters and moves through the food chain into pasture, crops and animals. This includes a representation of the production and movement of organically bound tritium (OBT).
