The hydrological impact assessment in the decision support of nuclear emergency response

Abstract

The paper presents several aspects believed to be relevant for the integration in the decision support systems for the management of radiological emergencies, of assessment tools addressing surface water contamination. Three exemplary cases are discussed in the context-the CONVEX 2005 international alert exercise, AXIOPOLIS 09, a national drill targeting a CANDU reactor at Cernavoda nuclear power plant in Romania, and Oltenia 07-a nation-wide drill around a scenario, involving trans-border effects of a virtual accident at a VVER reactor at Kozloduy, Bulgaria. The capability of different analytic tools were tested, including public deliverables like real-time, online decision support system's HDM module and model-based computerised system for management support to identify optimal remedial strategies for restoring radionuclide-contaminated aquatic ecosystems and drainage areas, as well as research-grade, home-made facilities, in order to identify and sort out merits and issues of interest in steering their effective utilisation.

Advanced nuclear reactors and tritium impacts. Modeling the aquatic pathway

“…It was considered a hypothetical accidental release of tritium during a LOCA event (without core melt) in a CANDU6 reactor proposed as exercise (Vamanu et al, 2010;Park and Kim, 2009). In 1 h period, half of tritium inventory of a CANDU6 reactor was released to the Bay of Ilha Grande in the same position where the discharge of the third Brazilian Nuclear Power Plant could be accomplished in the future.…”

“…They are essential tools for using in the regulatory control of routine discharges (Boyer and Beaugelin-Seiller, 2002;Ciffroy et al, 2005Ciffroy et al, , 2006Goutalet al, 2008;Maranget al, 2011) to the environment and also in planning measures to be taken in the event of accidental releases. Also, environmental assessment models are used for predicting the impact of releases which may occur far into the future (Anderssonet al, 2008;Ehrhardtet al, 1997;Galeriu et al, 2009;Patryl, 2005, 2008;Lepicard et al, 2004;Raskob, 2007;Raskob et al, 2004;Singh et al, 2012;Slavnicu et al, 2009;Vamanu et al, 2010). It is important to evaluate, to the extent possible, the reliability of the predictions of such models, by comparing with measured values in the environment or by comparing with the predictions of other models (Huhet al, 2004).…”