Assessing emergency situations and their aftermath in urban areas: The EMRAS II Urban Areas Working Group

Thiessen, Kathleen M; Andersson, Kasper Grann; Berkovskyy, V.; Charnock, T.W.; Chouhan, S.; Ďúran, J.; Fuka, Vladimír; Helebrant, Jan; Hůlka, Jiřı́; Hwang, Won Tae; Kuča, Petr; Mancini, Francesco; Navarro, É.; Periáñez, R.; Prouza, Z.; Sdouz, G.; Tomás, J.; Trifunović, Dejan; Urso, L.; Walter, Hartmut

doi:10.1051/radiopro/20116528s

Cited by 2 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Republic. These exercises are described in detail in a separate article in this issue (Thiessen et al 2022; see also Prouza et al 2010, Thiessen et al 2011, IAEA 2021, 2022in preparation). In each field test, a radiotracer ( 99m Tc or 140 La) was dispersed by means of a small explosion, and measurements of ground deposition of the radiotracer were made, as well as of detailed meteorological data before and during the dispersion event.…”

Section: Short-range Atmospheric Dispersion Exercisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The next major efforts toward modelling of urban contamination came during the IAEA's EMRAS (Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety) programmes, including the Urban Remediation Working Group of EMRAS I (2003EMRAS I ( -2007 and the Urban Areas Working Group of EMRAS II (2009II ( -2011. The objective of both of these Working Groups was to test and improve the capabilities of models used to assess radioactive contamination in urban areas, including dispersion and deposition events, short-term and long-term contaminant redistribution following deposition events, and the effects of proposed or actual remedial measures (Thiessen et al 2008, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c, 2011, IAEA 2012a, 2012b, 2021, Periáñez et al 2016. Specifically, the Working Groups sought to test and improve the predictions of radionuclide activity concentrations and dose rates as a function of location and time since release, to improve the prediction of cumulative doses to humans from dispersed radionuclides in urban areas, to identify the most important pathways for human exposure (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Urban Areas Working Group of EMRAS II conducted three modelling exercises (Thiessen et al 2011, 2022, Periáñez et al 2016, IAEA 2021. The 1st modelling exercise was a short-range atmospheric dispersion exercise based on field tests involving dispersion of a radionuclide ( 99m Tc) by means of a small explosion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban working groups in the IAEA’s model testing programmes: overview from the MODARIA I and MODARIA II programmes

et al. 2022

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The IAEA’s model testing programmes have included a series of Working Groups concerned with modelling radioactive contamination in urban environments. These have included the Urban Working Group of Validation of Environmental Model Predictions (1988–1994), the Urban Remediation Working Group of Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety (EMRAS) (2003–2007), the Urban Areas Working Group of EMRAS II (2009–2011), the Urban Environments Working Group of (Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments) MODARIA I (2013–2015), and most recently, the Urban Exposures Working Group of MODARIA II (2016–2019). The overarching objective of these Working Groups has been to test and improve the capabilities of computer models used to assess radioactive contamination in urban environments, including dispersion and deposition processes, short-term and long-term redistribution of contaminants following deposition events, and the effectiveness of various countermeasures and other protective actions, including remedial actions, in reducing contamination levels, human exposures, and doses to humans. This paper describes the exercises conducted during the MODARIA I and MODARIA II programmes. These exercises have included short-range and mid-range atmospheric dispersion exercises based on data from field tests or tracer studies, hypothetical urban dispersion exercises, and an exercise based on data collected after the Fukushima Daiichi accident. Improvement of model capabilities will lead to improvements in assessing various contamination scenarios (real or hypothetical), and in turn, to improved decision-making and communication with the public following a nuclear or radiological emergency.

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Section: Short-range Atmospheric Dispersion Exercisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban working groups in the IAEA’s model testing programmes: overview from the MODARIA I and MODARIA II programmes

et al. 2022

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“…Several of the model testing programmes organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have included Working Groups specifically focused on modelling of radioactive contamination in urban environments (reviewed by Thiessen et al 2008, 2011, 2022, IAEA 1994, 2012a, 2012b, 2021, 2022. One of the areas of interest to these Working Groups has been modelling the dispersion of radioactive contamination from relatively small-scale detonations, which might be relevant for a 'dirty bomb' situation, for example.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The availability of data from a series of field tests carried out in the Czech Republic (Prouza et al 2010) made it possible to carry out several modelling exercises in which predicted deposition, based on dispersion modelling, could be compared with measurements of deposition from actual detonation and dispersion events. These field tests formed the basis of five modelling exercises during the EMRAS II (Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety;2009-2011, MODARIA I (Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessment; [2013][2014][2015] and MODARIA II (2016II ( -2019 programmes (IAEA 2021(IAEA , 2022. During EMRAS II and MODARIA I, a total of four detonation and dispersion events were modelled, based on field tests at a site in Kamenná, Czech Republic, using 99m Tc (half-life, 6 h) as a radiotracer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the atmospheric dispersion of radiotracers in small-scale, controlled detonations: validation of dispersion models using field test data

Thiessen¹,

Kuča²,

Helebrant³

et al. 2022

J. Radiol. Prot.

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A series of modelling exercises, based on field tests conducted in the Czech Republic, were carried out by the ‘Urban’ Working Groups as part of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety II, Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessment (MODARIA) I and MODARIA II international data compilation and model validation programmes. In the first two of these programmes, data from a series of field tests involving dispersion of a radiotracer, 99mTc, from small-scale, controlled detonations were used in a comparison of model predictions with field measurements of deposition. In the third programme, data from a similar field test, involving dispersion of 140La instead of 99mTc, were used. Use of longer-lived 140La as a radiotracer allowed a greater number of measurements to be made over a greater distance from the dispersion point and in more directions than was possible for the earlier tests involving shorter-lived 99mTc. The modelling exercises included both intercomparison of model predictions from several participants and comparison of model predictions with the measured data. Several models (HotSpot, LASAIR, ADDAM/CSA-ERM, plus some research models) were used in the comparisons, which demonstrated the challenges of modelling dispersion of radionuclides from detonations and the need for appropriate meteorological measurements.

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Assessing emergency situations and their aftermath in urban areas: The EMRAS II Urban Areas Working Group

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

Urban working groups in the IAEA’s model testing programmes: overview from the MODARIA I and MODARIA II programmes

Urban working groups in the IAEA’s model testing programmes: overview from the MODARIA I and MODARIA II programmes

Modelling the atmospheric dispersion of radiotracers in small-scale, controlled detonations: validation of dispersion models using field test data

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