Development of a multimedia radionuclide exposure model for low-level waste management

Onishi, Y.; Whelan, G.; Skaggs, Richard L.

doi:10.2172/5254582

Cited by 10 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Numerous reviews of contaminant transport models (e.g., Onishi et al 1981Onishi et al , 1987Onishi 1985;NCRP 1984) indicate that many such models have been developed for rivers, estuaries, lakes, and oceans. Models that include sedimentcontaminant interactions include one-dimensional models such as TODAM (Onishi et al 1982a), twodimensional models such as SERATRA (Onishi et al 1982b) and FETRA (Onishi 1981), and three dimensional codes such as FLESCOT (Onishi et al 1993;Onishi and Trent 1982).…”

Section: Surface Water Transport -Sediment/radionuclide Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the simulation of radionuclide transport in several United States rivers, the Transfer OneDimensional Degradation and Migration (TODAM) model has been used (Onishi et al 1982a;Onishi and Wise 1982). TODAM is a transient, one-dimensional model simulating the transport of contaminants in rivers, reservoirs, and estuarine systems with second-order decay mechanisms.…”

Section: Surface Water Transport -Sediment/radionuclide Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Additional Research Needs to Support the GENII Biosphere Models

Napier¹,

Snyder²,

Arimescu³

2013

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SummaryIn the course of evaluating the current parameter needs for the GENII Version 2 code (Snyder et al. 2013), areas of possible improvement for both the data and the underlying models have been identified. As the data review was implemented, PNNL staff identified areas where the models can be improved both to accommodate the locally significant pathways identified and also to incorporate newer models. The areas are general data needs for the existing models and improved formulations for the pathway models.It is recommended that priorities be set by NRC staff to guide selection of the most useful improvements in a cost-effective manner. Suggestions are made based on relatively easy and inexpensive changes, and longer-term more costly studies. In the short term, there are several improved model formulations that could be applied to the GENII suite of codes to make them more generally useful. These are: Implementation of the separation of the translocation and weathering processes  Implementation of an improved model for carbon-14 from non-atmospheric sources  Implementation of radon exposure pathways models  Development of a Keyhole Markup Language (KML) processor for the output report generator module data that could be superimposed upon digital maps for easier presentation and display  Implementation of marine mammal models (manatees, seals, walrus, whales, etc.) Modifications to include a radionuclide transport model for estuarine environments.Data needs in the longer term require extensive (and potentially expensive) research. Before picking any one radionuclide or food type, a review of current and anticipated environmental analyses should be made to select "dominant" radionuclides of interest to allow setting of cost-effective priorities for radionuclide-and pathway-specific research. These include  soil-to-plant uptake studies for oranges and other citrus fruits  Development of models for evaluation of radionuclide concentration in highly-processed foods such as oils and sugars  Sediment/radionuclide transport models in estuary, ocean, and freshwater environments.Finally, renewed studies of radionuclide cleanup in various modern types of municipal water treatment facilities such as advanced filtration or reverse-osmosis processes may be performed without development of any new or costly experimental facilities.v

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Section: Surface Water Transport -Sediment/radionuclide Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Surface Water Transport -Sediment/radionuclide Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Additional Research Needs to Support the GENII Biosphere Models

Napier¹,

Snyder²,

Arimescu³

2013

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“…The drainage basins are east-west oriented with UP and Pueblo Canyons as t ri buta ri es of Los Al amos Canyon (see Fi gu re 4.2). The a rea has a semi-arid, continental mountain climate (Unishi, Whelan, and Skaggs 1982). The vegetational and climatic variation are commensurate with the elevational 4.6 .…”

Section: Los Alamos and Pueblo Canyonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PNL has been active for a number of years in the area of overland and instream contaminant transport (e.g., Onishi et ale 1981, Parkhurst et ale 1981, and Onishi, Whelan, and Skaggs 1982. They have developed and are now refining models to predict radionuclide migration in rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Multimedia contaminant environmental exposure assessment methodology as applied to Los Alamos, New Mexico

Whelan¹,

Thompson²,

Yabusaki³

1983

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iii eXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) used a methodology for predicting the migration and fate of radionuclides in the environment to assess 239pu migration in the vicinity of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The MCEA (Multimedia ~ontaminant ~nvironmental Exposure Assessment) methodology, which was jointly developed by PNL and LANL, assesses exposures to air, water, soil, and plants from contaminants released into the environment by simulating dominant mechanisms of contaminant migration and fate. The methodology is more sophisticated than those for a basic worst-case scenario analysis, but less sophisticated than a full-scaled, extremely detailed, expensive and timeconsuming onsite survey. The methodology encompasses five different pathways (i.e., atmospheric, terrestrial, overland, subsurface, and surface water) and combines them into a highly flexible tool. The flexibility of the MCEA methodology is demonstrated in this study by encompassing two of the pathways (i.e., overland and surface water) into an effective tool for simulating the migration and fate of radionuclides released into the Los Alamos, New Mexico region.The purpose of this study was to assess the potential migration and fate of radionuclides in Los Alamos and Pueblo Canyons. Specifically, a precipitation-generated flood event with a recurrence interval of 50 yr was simulated in Los Alamos and Pueblo Canyons to simulate the degree to which radionuclides would migrate into lower Los Alamos Canyon. PNL performed this work in cooperation with LANL.The MCEA methodology was employed to simulate the resuspension, deposition, sorption, migration, and fate of 239Pu adsorbed onto bed sediments. The scenario studied herein assumed the 239pu concentrations currently existing at the modeling site as the initial conditions. A temporally varying, spatially uniform precipitation event representing a possible 50-yr flood event was used in the modeling scenario. The 50-yr event was chosen in an attempt to simulate a critical event (i.e., one which may transport significant amounts of 239pu downstream and deposit them into lower v Los Alamos Canyon). Overland runoff events transported water and sediment to the channel 's edge as lateral inflow. The movement of water and sediment along with contaminated bed sediment entrained into the flow were simulated for the precipitation-generated flood event.The study revealed that a) the 239 pu inventory in lower Los Alamos Canyon increased by approximately 1.1 times for the 50-yr flood event; b) the average contaminant 239pu concentrations (i.e., weighted according to the depth of the respective bed layer) in lower Los Alamos Canyon for the 50-yr flood event decreased by 5.4%; c) ~27% of the total 239pu contaminaton resuspended from the entire bed (based on the assumed cross sections) for the 50-yr flood event originated from lower Pueblo Canyon; d) an increase in the 239pu contaminaton of the bed followed the general deposition patterns experienced by the sediment in Pueblo-lower Los Alamos Canyo...

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