Tritiated water

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<li>Water portal</li></ul>
Tritiated water is a <a href="/facts/Radioactivity/Ya6FVjt4">radioactive</a> form of <a href="/facts/Water_(molecule)/FFsl65l1">water</a> in which the usual <a href="/facts/Isotopes_of_hydrogen/c3CAg2Pc">protium</a> atoms are replaced with <a href="/facts/Tritium/HWSa6EHy">tritium</a> atoms. In its pure form it may be called tritium oxide (T2O or 3H2O) or super-heavy water. Pure T2O is a colorless liquid, and it is <a href="/facts/Corrosive/7LXjT1XE">corrosive</a> due to self-<a href="/facts/Radiolysis/BzPNnEvu">radiolysis</a>. Diluted, tritiated water is mainly H2O plus some HTO (3HOH). It is also used as a <a href="/facts/Isotopic_labelling/Sqtr7c0G">tracer</a> for water transport studies in life-science research. Furthermore, since it naturally occurs in minute quantities, it can be used to determine the age of various water-based liquids, such as vintage <a href="/facts/Wines/przCrC98">wines</a>.
The name super-heavy water helps distinguish the tritiated material from <a href="/facts/Heavy_water/3dbSrTw5">heavy water</a>, which contains <a href="/facts/Deuterium/Bv4wfCkw">deuterium</a> instead.

Tritiated water open-in-new

Tritiated water