Method for Using Measurements of the Contamination of Bottom Deposits to Estimate the Source of Radioactive Substances Flowing into a River

Author: Nosov, A.

Source: Atomic Energy, Volume 99, Number 3, September 2005 , pp. 658-664(7)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

A method of estimating the strength of a stationary source of radioactive substances entering a river is proposed. The method is based on statistically reliable measurements of the concentration of radionuclides in bottom deposits. The stationary model of the transport of a radioactive impurity in a two-dimensionally uniform flow is used to determine a relation between the concentration of radionuclides in bottom deposits and the strength of the source. The model is based on the two-dimensional equation for turbulent diffusion and takes account of the interaction of radioactive substances between the water mass (solution, suspension) and bottom deposits.

The source of ⁶⁰Co entering the Don River with contaminated underground waters as a result of an incident, which occurred in 1985, in a storage site for liquid wastes from the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant is examined as an example. The average yearly inflow of the radionuclide is estimated to be ∼1·10¹⁰ Bq/yr, which is several times less than the estimates made by experts.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10512-005-0262-y

Publication date: 2005-09-01