AbstractThe study of the influence of radiation defects on tritium release behavior from polycrystalline Li2O was performed by simultaneous measurements of the luminescence emission and tritium release. It was found that the radiation defects in Li2O introduced by electron irradiation cause the retention of tritium. It is thought that the tritium recovery is affected by the formation of a Li–T bond, which is tolerant of high temperatures. The retardation of tritium decreases with increasing absorbed dose in the dose range from 50 to 140 MGy. The aggregation of radiation defects at high irradiation doses is considered to be responsible for the decrease of the interaction of tritium with radiation defects. The mechanism of the interaction of radiation defects with tritium is discussed.