title: Atmospheric dispersion of radon around uranium mill tailings of the former Pridneprovsky Chemical Plant in Ukraine.
abstract: Simulations of atmospheric dispersion of radon around the uranium mill tailings of the former Pridneprovsky Chemical Plant (PChP) in Ukraine were carried out with the aid of two atmospheric dispersion models: the Airviro Grid Model and the CALMET/CALPUFF model chain. The available measurement data of radon emission rates taken in the territories and the close vicinity of tailings were used in simulations. The results of simulations were compared to the yearly averaged measurements of concentration data. Both models were able to reasonably reproduce average radon concentration at the Sukhachivske site using averaged measured emission rates as input together with the measured meteorological data. At the same time, both models significantly underestimated concentrations as compared to measurements collected at the PChP industrial site. According to the results of both dispersion models, it was shown that only addition of significant radon emission rate from the whole territory of PChP in addition to emission rates from the tailings could explain the observed concentration measurements. With the aid of the uncertainty analysis, the radon emission rate from the whole territory of PChP was estimated to be between 1.5 and 3.5 Bq·m-2s-1.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mathematical Machines & Systems Problems NAS of Ukraine, prosp. Glushkova, 42, 03187, Kiev, Ukraine; Ukrainian Center of Environmental & Water Projects, prosp. Glushkova, 42, 03187, Kiev, Ukraine. Electronic address: ik@env.com.ua.
authors.forename: Ivan V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Kovalets
authors.affiliation: Swedish Meteorological & Hydrological Institute, SE - 601 76, Norrköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mathematical Machines & Systems Problems NAS of Ukraine, prosp. Glushkova, 42, 03187, Kiev, Ukraine; Ukrainian Center of Environmental & Water Projects, prosp. Glushkova, 42, 03187, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Khalchenkov
authors.affiliation: Swedish Meteorological & Hydrological Institute, SE - 601 76, Norrköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.affiliation: Centre of Monitoring Studies and Environmental Technologies - 'Ecomonitor' LLC, Nauky Ave, 37, Kiev, Ukraine; Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute, Nauky Ave, 37, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Tatyana V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Lavrova
mesh_terms: D008906:Mining; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014455:Ukraine; D014501:Uranium
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D011886:Radon
keywords: Airviro; Atmospheric dispersion; CALPUFF; Inverse modeling; Radon; Uranium tailings