Comparison of analytical model and numerical model for radionuclide transport in groundwater

Contaminant transport models are employed for predicting radionuclide movement in groundwater in the subsurface beneath tailings pond, where uranium mill tailings are stored. The contaminant transport models, in general, can be classified into analytical models and numerical models. Analytical models result in exact solutions to the equations under simplified assumptions. Numerical models are capable of solving more complex equations for complex geometries and parameter distributions. In this paper, a study is carried out to compare the results obtained using analytical model and numerical model on migration of 238U and its major progeny in groundwater from the tailings pond located at Turamdih in Jharkhand. Considering the simplified assumptions involved in the analytical model, the results obtained from the analytical and numerical models are compared well. (author)