title: Review and assessment of models for predicting the migration of radionuclides through rivers.
abstract: The present paper summarises the results of the review and assessment of state-of-the-art models developed for predicting the migration of radionuclides through rivers. The different approaches of the models to predict the behaviour of radionuclides in lotic ecosystems are presented and compared. The models were classified and evaluated according to their main methodological approaches. The results of an exercise of model application to specific contamination scenarios aimed at assessing and comparing the model performances were described. A critical evaluation and analysis of the uncertainty of the models was carried out. The main factors influencing the inherent uncertainty of the models, such as the incompleteness of the actual knowledge and the intrinsic environmental and biological variability of the processes controlling the behaviour of radionuclides in rivers, are analysed.
authors.affiliation: ENEA CR Casaccia, via P. Anguillarese, 301, 00100 Rome, Italy. monte@casaccia.enea.it
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monte
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brittain
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Håkanson
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lepicard
authors.forename: Jim T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D005544:Forecasting; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011868:Radioisotopes; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014872:Water Movements; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive