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Prediction of the Impact of Severe Accidents at NPP on Radionuclide Contamination of the Near-Surface Environment

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Overland Flow Dynamics and Solute Transport

Part of the book series: Theory and Applications of Transport in Porous Media ((TATP,volume 26))

Abstract

The fission of uranium or plutonium isotopes normally used as the fuel in nuclear reactors generates radioactive fission products, radionuclides. For nuclear reactors under normal operation and in a number of events, these radionuclides are prevented from escaping to the environment by several physical barriers (Högberg 2013). However, as experience shows, it cannot be totally excluded that at any time events occur. If all barriers fail, there is a potential substantial release of radionuclides from the damaged reactor to the environment. These aerosol-bound radionuclides being widely dispersed in the atmosphere can be removed from the atmosphere and brought to the earth surface by dry or wet deposition. The other pathway for radionuclides is connected with radioactive wastewater leak directly from the damaged reactor to the subsurface environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Geology, The Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Vyacheslav G. Rumynin

  2. Institute of Earth Sciences, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Vyacheslav G. Rumynin

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  1. Vyacheslav G. Rumynin
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Rumynin, V.G. (2015). Prediction of the Impact of Severe Accidents at NPP on Radionuclide Contamination of the Near-Surface Environment. In: Overland Flow Dynamics and Solute Transport. Theory and Applications of Transport in Porous Media, vol 26. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21801-4_7

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