Abstract
A requirement in assessing the safety of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept is the prediction of radiological doses to humans and other biota, which may occur far in the future as a result of releases of nuclides to the biosphere. A biosphere model has been developed, consisting of four integrated submodels describing surface water, soil, atmosphere, and food-dose components. This report documents the surface water submodel, which is a simple, generic mass balance model of a Canadian Shield lake. Nuclide input to the lake is the time-dependent mass output from the geosphere model. Nuclides enter the lake from compacted sediments. The surface water submodel calculates nuclide concentrations in lake water and sediment. These concentrations are used in the other biosphere submodels to predict the radiological dose to biota. Selection of parameter values for the model is based on the literature, our own data, and conservative assumptions to ensure that doses are not underestimated. MOst parameters are represented by log normal. This probabilistic approach of using distributed parameter values accounts for variability and uncertainty in parameter values, and short-term environmental fluctuations. Long-term environmental changes, such as glaciation, are not considered in the model. Sensitivity analysis indicates that nuclide concentrations in
More>>
Bird, G A;
Stephenson, M;
[1]
Cornett, R J
[2]
- Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Pinawa, MB (Canada). Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment
- Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, ON (Canada). Chalk River Nuclear Labs.
Citation Formats
Bird, G A, Stephenson, M, and Cornett, R J.
The surface water submodel for the assessment of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept.
Canada: N. p.,
1992.
Web.
Bird, G A, Stephenson, M, & Cornett, R J.
The surface water submodel for the assessment of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept.
Canada.
Bird, G A, Stephenson, M, and Cornett, R J.
1992.
"The surface water submodel for the assessment of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept."
Canada.
@misc{etde_10138373,
title = {The surface water submodel for the assessment of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept}
author = {Bird, G A, Stephenson, M, and Cornett, R J}
abstractNote = {A requirement in assessing the safety of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept is the prediction of radiological doses to humans and other biota, which may occur far in the future as a result of releases of nuclides to the biosphere. A biosphere model has been developed, consisting of four integrated submodels describing surface water, soil, atmosphere, and food-dose components. This report documents the surface water submodel, which is a simple, generic mass balance model of a Canadian Shield lake. Nuclide input to the lake is the time-dependent mass output from the geosphere model. Nuclides enter the lake from compacted sediments. The surface water submodel calculates nuclide concentrations in lake water and sediment. These concentrations are used in the other biosphere submodels to predict the radiological dose to biota. Selection of parameter values for the model is based on the literature, our own data, and conservative assumptions to ensure that doses are not underestimated. MOst parameters are represented by log normal. This probabilistic approach of using distributed parameter values accounts for variability and uncertainty in parameter values, and short-term environmental fluctuations. Long-term environmental changes, such as glaciation, are not considered in the model. Sensitivity analysis indicates that nuclide concentrations in lake water and sediment are governed primarily by hydrological flushing, with lake catchment area being the most important parameter. When catchment area is held constant, as would occur at a specific site, lake area and nuclide transfer rate from water to sediment strongly influence concentrations in both water and sediment. Sediment accumulation rate also strongly influences sediment nuclide concentrations. Validation of model predictions using published studies and other data demonstrates that our model is realistic and suitable for assessing Canada`s disposal concept. (Author).}
place = {Canada}
year = {1992}
month = {Dec}
}
title = {The surface water submodel for the assessment of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept}
author = {Bird, G A, Stephenson, M, and Cornett, R J}
abstractNote = {A requirement in assessing the safety of Canada`s nuclear fuel waste management concept is the prediction of radiological doses to humans and other biota, which may occur far in the future as a result of releases of nuclides to the biosphere. A biosphere model has been developed, consisting of four integrated submodels describing surface water, soil, atmosphere, and food-dose components. This report documents the surface water submodel, which is a simple, generic mass balance model of a Canadian Shield lake. Nuclide input to the lake is the time-dependent mass output from the geosphere model. Nuclides enter the lake from compacted sediments. The surface water submodel calculates nuclide concentrations in lake water and sediment. These concentrations are used in the other biosphere submodels to predict the radiological dose to biota. Selection of parameter values for the model is based on the literature, our own data, and conservative assumptions to ensure that doses are not underestimated. MOst parameters are represented by log normal. This probabilistic approach of using distributed parameter values accounts for variability and uncertainty in parameter values, and short-term environmental fluctuations. Long-term environmental changes, such as glaciation, are not considered in the model. Sensitivity analysis indicates that nuclide concentrations in lake water and sediment are governed primarily by hydrological flushing, with lake catchment area being the most important parameter. When catchment area is held constant, as would occur at a specific site, lake area and nuclide transfer rate from water to sediment strongly influence concentrations in both water and sediment. Sediment accumulation rate also strongly influences sediment nuclide concentrations. Validation of model predictions using published studies and other data demonstrates that our model is realistic and suitable for assessing Canada`s disposal concept. (Author).}
place = {Canada}
year = {1992}
month = {Dec}
}