Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 20

ENVIRONMENT
Environmental contamination

Models are progressing

H

ow can the medium- and long-term
consequences of a radioactive release
on humans and the environment be
assessed? They can be assessed by optimizing the models that predict their dispersion
and estimate their dosimetric impact.
Coordinated by IRSN, the AMORAD1
project is developing three lines of research:
the cesium2 cycle in forests, erosion-runoff
flows from watersheds to rivers and then
to the sea, and the impact of releases on
the marine environment (water, sediments,
organisms).

© PRP-ENV/SESURE/LERCM/IRSN Media Library

When an accident occurs, forests, marine and agricultural environments are contaminated.
The long-term effects of this contamination are being studied.
In ten years, research has provided knowledge on the transfer of radionuclides
to ecosystems, the quantification of uncertainties in models, etc.

Cesium transfer in forest
ecosystems

Page 20 - Repères No. 48 - March 2021

IRSN researcher Sabine Charmasson takes samples and cores on the coast and at sea to assess
the contamination of water and marine sediments along the coast, north of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

© PSE-ENV/SEREN/LEREN/IRSN

As a vulnerable biotope, forests capture more
atmospheric contamination than agricultural and urban environments. They then
contaminate other environments, via erosion, runoff, fires, etc. It is therefore essential
to predict the evolution of contamination
in the various compartments-soil, tree and
forest understory. In 2011, the existing
empirical model proved insufficient, as it
had not been well tested, due to the lack of
data immediately following Chernobyl.
With AMORAD, cesium transfer is specified after validation of the new TREE4
model on data from forty Japanese forest
sites. " TREE4 calculates the levels of contamination and predicts their short- to
long-term evolution, from several months
to thirty years, " explained Marc-André
Gonze, terrestrial ecosystem modeling and
risk assessment expert.
The tool makes it possible to estimate, in
microsievert per hour (μSv/h), how the
resulting external dose rates evolve over time
in a forest environment and to assess the
efficiency of decontamination efforts like
removing part of the soil, tree felling, etc.
" How quickly will we be able to restart forestry? How can we shorten this time? " Gonze
comments. He goes on to say, " If a nuclear
accident were to occur in France, these

Sampling campaign in French forests as part of Dina
Okhrimchuk's thesis. Pierre Hurtevent, Engineer, takes
samples from the roots of a beech tree.



Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine

Cover
Contents
Editorial
JAPAN 2011 - The accident at Fukushima Daiichi: What happened?
JAPAN 2021 - Ten years later: What is the state of affairs?
SAFETY - Extreme risks: Enhanced protection nuclear facilities
Station blackout diesel generator: Assessments made during design
Severe accidents: Ultimate heat sink performance
Tricastin nuclear power plant: Dike reinforcements follow assessment
Research: Innovative materials
EMERGENCY - Emergency management and recovery: Defining new zoning
HEALTH - Population protection: What progress has been made in ten years?
ENVIRONMENT - Environmental contamination: Models are progressing
IRSN - 2011-2021: IRSN’s actions
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - Cover
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - Contents
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - Editorial
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - JAPAN 2011 - The accident at Fukushima Daiichi: What happened?
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 5
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - JAPAN 2021 - Ten years later: What is the state of affairs?
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 7
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - SAFETY - Extreme risks: Enhanced protection nuclear facilities
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 9
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - Station blackout diesel generator: Assessments made during design
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - Tricastin nuclear power plant: Dike reinforcements follow assessment
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 12
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - Research: Innovative materials
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - EMERGENCY - Emergency management and recovery: Defining new zoning
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 15
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 16
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 17
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - HEALTH - Population protection: What progress has been made in ten years?
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 19
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - ENVIRONMENT - Environmental contamination: Models are progressing
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 21
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - IRSN - 2011-2021: IRSN’s actions
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 23
Repères - N°48 / March 2021 - The IRSN magazine - 24
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