Local compartment model for dispersion of HT and HTO

A local compartment model for dispersion of HT and HTO (TRILOCOMO) has been developed parallel to the two tritium field studies in France on October 15, 1986 and in Canada on June 10, 1987. The model describes particularly the behavior of HTO in the air humidity, soil water and vegetation water as a function of time. Using the energy balance equation it was possible to calculate the temperature of the vegetation water and the evaporation rate with measured parameter values of the air humidity, temperature, pressure and some diffusion resistances. The model was applied to the Canadian experiment. The simulated values of the HTO-concentration in the air covering a time period of 5 hours fitted the experimental results within a factor of 1.5 while there was a greater difference in the HTO concentration in the vegetation water during the time period just after the release. The results agreed well once the water uptake from the soil was included