GENOTOXICITY OF TRITIATED-WATER IN HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES

The present study was carried out to evaluate the genotoxicity of trit ium, administered as tritiated water, in peripheral blood human lympho cyte cultures. Sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) and chromosome aberrat ions (CA) were scored as genetic endpoints. From our results we can co nclude that beta-radiation from low concentrations of tritium was able to induce a significant increase in the frequency of CA, although it was ineffective in increasing the frequency of SCE.