Global environmental transport models for tritium

Conference · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Fusion Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5767647

Killough, G G; Kocher, D C

In this paper we discuss some of the obstacles to the construction of credible models of tritium transport for use in dose assessments. We illustrate these difficulties by comparing model predictions of environmental tritium levels with measurements. Environmental monitoring of tritium has shown that specific activities in precipitation over land are typically higher by a factor of three to four than those in precipitation over the oceans. Experience with modeling CO/sub 2/ turnover in the oceans has led to the conclusion that two-box reservoir models of the ocean often give unsatisfactory representations of transient solutions. Failure to consider these factors in global models can lead to distorted estimates of collective dose and create difficulties in validation of the model against real data. We illustrate these problems with a seven-box model recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), in which we forced the atmospheric compartment to reproduce an exogenous function based on historic observations of HTO in precipitation at 50/sup 0/N.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
• OSTI ID: 5767647
• Report Number(s): CONF-850405-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Fusion Technol.; (United States) Journal Volume: 8:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FALLOUT
GLOBAL FALLOUT
HEAVY WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LAND POLLUTION
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RIVERS
SEAS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TRITIUM
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WATER RESERVOIRS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES