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PATHWAY: a simulation model of radionuclide-transport through agricultural food chains

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6707431
PATHWAY simulates the transport of radionuclides from fallout through an agricultural ecosystem. The agro-ecosystem is subdivided into several land management units, each of which is used either for grazing animals, for growing hay, or for growing food crops. The model simulates the transport of radionuclides by both discrete events and continuous, time-dependent processes. The discrete events include tillage of soil, harvest and storage of crops,and deposition of fallout. The continuous processes include the transport of radionuclides due to resuspension, weathering, rain splash, percolation, leaching, adsorption and desorption of radionuclides in the soil, root uptake, foliar absorption, growth and senescence of vegetation, and the ingestion assimilation, and excretion of radionuclides by animals. Preliminary validation studies indicate that the model dynamics and simulated values of radionuclide concentrations in several agricultural products agree well with measured values when the model is driven with site specific data on deposition from world-wide fallout.
Research Organization:
Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AS08-79NV10057
OSTI ID:
6707431
Report Number(s):
CONF-820596-3; ON: DE83002106
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English