Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T23:32:40.517Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prompt simulation of the transfer of radioactivity in the Irish food chain following a nuclear accident

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2009

J. Barescut ,
P. McGinnity ,
K. J. Smith ,
C. A. McMahon  and
P. A. Colgan
P. McGinnity
Affiliation:
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, 3 Clonskeagh Square, Dublin 14, Ireland
K. J. Smith
Affiliation:
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, 3 Clonskeagh Square, Dublin 14, Ireland
C. A. McMahon
Affiliation:
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, 3 Clonskeagh Square, Dublin 14, Ireland
P. A. Colgan
Affiliation:
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, 3 Clonskeagh Square, Dublin 14, Ireland
Get access

Abstract

The ARGOS Food and Dose Module has been adopted by the RPII to simulate the transfer of radioactivity in the food chain in the event of a large scale nuclear incident and to enhance its capability to assess the radiological consequences. This paper describes adaptation of this model for Irish conditions and its intended use, illustrated with examples from a recent national emergency exercise. By enabling time series of activity concentrations of individual radionuclide or radionuclide groups in a range of food and animal feeds and comparison with appropriate action levels, the model would assist the formulation of early advice regarding countermeasures and would be an important factor in refining a pre-defined sampling strategy. The current implementation provides a basis for more detailed modelling which would inevitably be required in the event of a real incident. As the situation evolved and monitoring results became available, FDM could be refined and used to predict future concentrations or those over a wide spatial area with increased confidence.

Type
Research Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 44 , Issue 5: ECORAD 2008 - Radioecology and Environmental Radioactivity , 2009 , pp. 707 - 712
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Department of Agriculture and Food, Annual Review and Outlook for Agriculture and Food 2006/2007, Retrieved 11 March 2008 from http://www.agriculture.ie/publicat/publications2007/ARO/ARO_English.pdf.
Müller H. and Pröhl G., Health Physics, 64 (1993) 232–252.
Ehrhardt J., Brown J., French S., Kelly G.N., Mikkelsen T., Müller H., Kerntechnik, 62 (1997) 122–128.
Hoe S., Müller H. and Thykier Nielsen, S., in Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association, Hiroshima, 2000. P-11-288.
Pröhl G., Modellierung der Radionuklidausbreitung in Nahrungsketten nach Deposition von Sr-90, Cs-137 und I-131 auf landwirtschaftlich genutzte Flächen 1990. Gesellschaft für Strahlen- und Umweltforschung (GSF), Neuherberg, GSF-Bericht 29/90.
Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance, North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey, Summary Report, 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2008 from http://www.iuna.net/survey2000.htm.
Central Statistics Office, Census of Agriculture Main Results, 2000. Retrieved 6 March 2008 from http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/pr_agrifishpubshardcopies.htm.
Central Statistics Office, Population and area of each Province, County, City, urban area, rural area and Electoral Division, 2002 and 2006, 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2008 from http://beyond2020.cso.ie/Census/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=1765.
Thykier-Nielsen, S., Deme, S., Mikkelsen, T., Description of the Atmospheric Dispersion Module RIMPUFF, 1998. RODOS(WG2)-TN(98)-02.
Council of the European Community Council, Council Regulation (EEC) No 2219/89, Off. J. Eur. Commun., L221 (1989) 4–5.
Hinton T.G., Health Physics, 66 (1994) 513–31.