Environmental sensitivity with respect to atmospheric release of ⁴¹Ar

Environmental sensitivity ultimately decides the fate of radionuclides that is released from Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Various models were designed to apportion the dose due to atmospheric releases which plays important role in the policy and decision making process. Atmospheric models can simulate the dispersion and chemical reaction of radioactive elements released from sources. Such models account for the environmental sensitive parameters like, effect of meteorology in the transport, dispersion and deposition of these compounds, and for how they are transformed as a result of radioactive decay, chemical transformation, the interaction with the surface and ecosystems, etc. The aims of this paper were to investigate the sensitivity of environment of different sites of NPP of India to atmospheric release of ⁴¹Ar. After release to the atmosphere, radionuclides undergoes dilution by downwind transport (advection) and mixing processes (turbulent diffusion). Radioactive material will also be removed from the atmosphere by both wet and dry deposition on to the ground, and by radioactive decay. Hence atmospheric concentration mainly depends upon the site specific environmental conditions like, meteorology, ecosystem etc