Sediment and radionuclide transport in rivers: radionuclide transport modeling for Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, New York

Technical Report · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6857931· OSTI ID:6857931

Onishi, Y; Yabusaki, S B; Kincaid, C T; Skaggs, R L; Walters, W H

SERATRA, a transient, two-dimensional (laterally-averaged) computer model of sediment-contaminant transport in rivers, satisfactorily resolved the distribution of sediment and radionuclide concentrations in the Cattaraugus Creek stream system in New York. By modeling the physical processes of advection, diffusion, erosion, deposition, and bed armoring, SERATRA routed three sediment size fractions, including cohesive soils, to simulate three dynamic flow events. In conjunction with the sediment transport, SERATRA computed radionuclide levels in dissolved, suspended sediment, and bed sediment forms for four radionuclides (/sup 137/Cs, /sup 90/Sr, /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 3/H). By accounting for time-dependent sediment-radionuclide interaction in the water column and bed, SERATA is a physically explicit model of radionuclide fate and migration. Sediment and radionuclide concentrations calculated by SERATA in the Cattaraugus Creek stream system are in reasonable agreement with measured values. SERATRA is in the field performance phase of an extensive testing program designed to establish the utility of the model as a site assessment tool. The model handles not only radionuclides but other contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. Now that the model has been applied to four field sites, including the latest study of the Cattaraugus Creek stream system, it is recommended that a final model be validated through comparison of predicted results with field data from a carefully controlled tracer test at a field site. It is also recommended that a detailed laboratory flume be tested to study cohesive sediment transport, deposition, and erosion characteristics. The lack of current understanding of these characteristics is one of the weakest areas hindering the accurate assessment of the migration of radionuclides sorbed by fine sediments of silt and clay.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6857931
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-2425; PNL-4111; ON: DE83005005
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ADVECTION
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTER CODES
DATA
DEPOSITION
DIFFUSION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EROSION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION II
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
HYDROLOGY
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS BALANCE
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
METALS
MONITORING
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PESTICIDES
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
S CODES
SEDIMENTS
SOILS
STREAMS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TESTING
TOXIC MATERIALS
TRITIUM
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
USA
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES