High-temperature tritium scrubbing

[sevenperforce]

If you could design a fusion-based nuclear reactor with the potential to completely revolutionize energy access around the world, but the reactor could only function by releasing environmentally significant amounts of superheated tritium directly into the atmosphere, would there be any way to deal with it?

I am wondering if there is some compound which could be added to the vent stream to bind with the tritium and keep it out of the bio-cycle long enough for it to decay.

 

[Astronuc]

I am wondering if there is some compound which could be added to the vent stream to bind with the tritium and keep it out of the bio-cycle long enough for it to decay.

If tritium is in the vent stream, it will enter the biosphere if the system is operated in the biosphere. If the vent stream contains oxygen, the tritium, like protium, will tend to bind with the oxygen, either forming a hydroxyl ion or water, which may combine with other elements to form hydroxides or hydrated compounds.

 

[raining Pete]

Or perhaps the vent stream could be routed through a series of filters designed to capture the tritium before it is released into the atmosphere. Another option could be to create a closed-loop system where the tritium is constantly recycled and reused in the reactor, minimizing the amount that needs to be released into the environment. However, I think it's important to thoroughly research and test any potential solutions before implementing them, as releasing significant amounts of tritium into the atmosphere could have unforeseen consequences. It's also worth considering alternative energy sources that don't have such significant environmental impacts.