Title: Lysimetric studies for modelling radioactive contaminant transport in soils

Authors: B. Hanumantha Rao; V. Sridhar; R.R. Rakesh; D.N. Singh; P.K. Narayan; P.K. Wattal

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering Division, School of Infrastructure, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar 751013, India ' Formerly Post Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering Division, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India ' Back-End Technology Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India ' Department of Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering Division, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India ' Back-End Technology Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India ' Back-End Technology Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India

Abstract: To assess the movement of contaminants in the soil mass surrounded by near/subsurface waste repository, researchers have developed several mathematical and numerical modelling techniques. However, most of these techniques consider remolded state of soil mass, which fail to reproduce exact in situ conditions and also have used inactive salts as model contaminants. Hence, in order to model transport of radioactive contaminants, in situ lysimetric studies were conducted at a waste disposal site and efforts were made to predict long-term transportation of these contaminants by employing VS2DT software. Results obtained have been critically examined vis-à-vis those obtained from soil coring experiments.

Keywords: waste disposal; contaminant transport; lysimetry; TDR measurements; mathematical modelling; modelling; radioactive contamination; soil contamination; environmental pollution; radioactive waste.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2013.056198

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2013 Vol.12 No.3, pp.318 - 339

Published online: 20 Sep 2014 *

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