Tritium Fact Sheet

General Information Tritium is the only radioactive* isotope of hydrogen and it is commonly represented by the chemical symbol H-3 or 3H. While the most common form of the hydrogen atom has a nucleus consisting of a single proton, tritium’s nucleus is comprised of three particles: two neutrons and a single proton. This configuration makes tritium’s nucleus unstable and tending to undergo a process of radioactive transformation. During this decay process, the tritium atom transforms into a nonradioactive helium atom and, in the process, emits a form of ionizing radiation known as a beta particle. The emission of this beta particle during the decay process is what makes tritium a potentially hazardous material.