A treatment method for an optical fiber including accommodating an optical
fiber inside a treatment chamber; introducing a deuterium containing gas
into the treatment chamber; and in a deuterium treatment step, exposing
the optical fiber to atmosphere of the deuterium containing gas. In the
deuterium treatment step, a deuterium concentration D in the treatment
chamber during the deuterium treatment is calculated from an initial
value A of a deuterium concentration in the deuterium containing gas
inside the treatment chamber, a concentration B of oxygen in an ambient
atmosphere of the treatment chamber, and a concentration C of oxygen in
the deuterium containing gas inside the treatment chamber, and the
deuterium concentration in the treatment chamber is controlled based on
the deuterium concentration D calculated. Other gases such as hydrogen
containing gas or nitrogen containing gas may also be used according to
the invention.