Radionuclides Transport Phenomena in Vadose Zone

Radioactive waste management is fundamental to safeguard population and environment by radiological risks. Environmental assessment of a site, where nuclear activities are located, allows understanding the hydro geological system and the radionuclides transport in groundwater and subsoil. Use of dedicated software is the basis of transport phenomena investigation and for dynamic scenarios prediction; this permits to understand the evolution of accidental contamination events, but at the same time the potentiality of the software itself can be verified. The aim of this paper is to perform a numerical analysis by means of HYDRUS 1D code, so as to evaluate radionuclides transport in a nuclear site in Piedmont region (Italy). In particular, the behaviour in vadose zone was investigated. An iterative assessment process was performed for risk assessment of radioactive contamination. The analysis therein developed considers the following aspects: i) hydro geological site characterization; ii) individuation of the main intrinsic and external site factors influencing water flow and radionuclides transport phenomena; iii) software potential for radionuclides leakage simulation purposes

Transport dynamic of strontium in groundwater: Safety Assessment study

One of the activities of the Safety Assessment is the evaluation of the impact of a nuclear facility on the environment. The radionuclide transport into groundwater is subjected to different phenomena (e.g. groundwater dynamic, surface stream dynamic, the interaction between surface water and groundwater, radionuclide interaction with environmental matrix, etc.) that influence the risk of contamination of water. The investigation of the source term is fundamental to understand its impact on radionuclide transport. In this paper, in situ surveys and modelling were coupled to investigate the dynamic of strontium in an Italian nuclear site. On-site measurements have identified low quantities of strontium in monitoring wells, and through the modelling, the possible migration pathway of this radionuclide was identified. For a primary safety evaluation purpose, a parametric detailed analysis was carried out to identify which hydrogeological parameters and which artificial structure present in the area could influence the dynamic of strontium in the investigated site. In particular, the effect of the Cavour artificial channel on the strontium migration and dilution was demonstrated. The coupling of monitoring activities, periodically performed in the area, and the modelling activities, focused on the detailed relationships between the Cavour artificial channel and the underground water flow, contributes to better evaluate the possible radiological risk for population and environment and to support future safety studies

Groundwater system characterisation in support of safety assessment for radioactive waste disposal

Radioactive waste disposal is a strategic activity in the nuclear field to safeguard the population and the environment from radiological risks. In the radioactive waste disposal field, safety assessment aims to foresee and manage the environmental and radiological impact of possible radionuclide releases. One of the main radionuclide transport pathways in the environment is through groundwater. This paper deals with an assessment process applied to a characterisation of a groundwater system and its relations with surface water, in order to foresee critical scenarios of possible radionuclide migration in environmental matrices (e.g., groundwater, surface water, soil, etc.). The study examines in depth the groundwater system of a nuclear site in Italy

Groundwater system characterisation in support of safety assessment for radioactive waste disposal

Radioactive waste disposal is a strategic activity in the nuclear field to safeguard the population and the environment from radiological risks. In the radioactive waste disposal field, safety assessment aims to foresee and manage the environmental and radiological impact of possible radionuclide releases. One of the main radionuclide transport pathways in the environment is through groundwater. This paper deals with an assessment process applied to a characterisation of a groundwater system and its relations with surface water, in order to foresee critical scenarios of possible radionuclide migration in environmental matrices (e.g., groundwater, surface water, soil, etc.). The study examines in depth the groundwater system of a nuclear site in Italy

Radionuclides Transport Phenomena in Vadose Zone

Radioactive waste management is fundamental to safeguard population and environment by radiological risks. Environmental assessment of a site, where nuclear activities are located, allows to understand the hydro geological system and the radionuclides transport in groundwater and subsoil. The use of dedicated software allows the investigation of transport phenomena and to predict accidental scenarios dynamic; this allows to understand the evolution of the accidental contamination, but at the mean time the potentiality of the software itself can be verified. The aim of this paper is to perform a numerical analysis by means of HYDRUS 1D code, so as to evaluate radionuclides transport dynamics in a nuclear site in Piedmont region (Italy). In particular, the behaviour in vadose zone has been investigated. An iterative assessment process has been performed for risk assessment of radioactive contamination. The analysis therein developed considers the following aspects: i) hydro geological site characterization; ii) individuation of the main factors influencing water flow and radionuclides transport phenomena; iii) software potential for radionuclides leakage simulation purposes

Le acque superficiali negli Studi di Impatto Ambientale delle infrastrutture viarie

La presenza di un’infrastruttura stradale e il relativo traffico veicolare contribuiscono in maniera significativa all’inquinamento dell’ambiente idrico superficiale, sia diffuso che puntuale. Per un’infrastruttura, sia viaria che ferroviaria, quindi, assume particolare rilievo l’interazione dell’opera con la componente “acqua” superficiale e profonda, nei suoi aspetti qualitativi e quantitativi. Le infrastrutture di trasporto di una certa rilevanza sono soggette a Valutazione di Impatto Ambientale ai fini dell’inserimento dell’opera con il minor impatto possibile sulle diverse componenti ambientali. Un’indagine sugli Studi di Impatto Ambientale (SIA), prodotti per la procedura di Valutazione di Impatto Ambientale a livello nazionale, ha mostrato, come l’analisi degli aspetti ambientali di un progetto sulla componente idrica risulta spesso approssimativa o semplicemente accennata. L’articolo presenta i risultati di uno studio preliminare, e ancora in essere, volto ad indagare le ragioni di tale carenza e a proporre una soluzione, utilizzando una metodologia a supporto dell’esame della componente idrica negli Studi di Impatto Ambientale per le opere viarie. Si è cercato di individuare gli elementi utili da prendere in considerazione, nella stesura di uno Studio di Impatto Ambientale (SIA), relativamente ai seguenti aspetti: 1. applicazione delle normative vigenti relative alla tutela delle acque e all’uso sostenibile della risorsa idrica; 2. indagine sulle caratteristiche e i requisiti che contribuiscono a definire lo Stato di un corpo idrico superficiale per la definizione del quadro ambientale di riferimento; 3. ricognizione di metodi e strumenti a supporto dell’analisi degli impatti connessi con la realizzazione di un’opera, con specifico riferimento, laddove possibile, alla trattazione della componente idrica. In particolare, viene descritta una metodologia di semplice applicabilità per la valutazione della significatività degli impatti prodotti da un’opera viaria su un corpo idrico superficiale