Low temperature decontamination of tritiated water

A system for removal and recovery of tritium from a tritium-contaminated aqueous stream, the system comprising:

• an enrichment column containing a separation phase and a catalyst within an interior volume, the enrichment column including a first inlet at a first end of the enrichment column configured for receiving the tritium-contaminated aqueous stream and a first outlet at a second end of the enrichment column for exit of a purified aqueous stream, the enrichment column further comprising a second inlet at the second end of the enrichment column for receiving a gaseous regeneration stream that includes protium and/or deuterium in the form of hydrogen gas, deuterium gas, hydrogen deuteride gas, or mixtures thereof, and a second outlet at the first end of the enrichment column for exit of a tritium-enriched gaseous flow;
• a cooling system in communication with an interior volume of the enrichment column;
• and
• a thermal cycling absorption column in fluid communication with the second outlet of the enrichment column, wherein the thermal cycling absorption column comprises an inverse separation column that includes a separation material that preferentially adsorbs tritium at an absorption temperature and that releases the adsorbed tritium at a release temperature.