Two Realistic Scenarios of Intentional Release of Radionuclides (Cs-137, Sr-90) - The Use of the HotSpot Code to Forecast Contamination Extent

There are several types of events that could result in dispersion of radioactive substances in the environment. The dispersion can be a consequence of a natural or intentional event. In case of radiological release the estimation of the contaminated area is very important to properly manage the rescue operations and decontamination by evaluating the impact on the population and environment. The extent of the contamination and impact on the environment and people mainly depends on the specific event and the radionuclide involved. Models and computational codes have been developed and hypothetical scenarios have been formulated for establishing priority of countermeasures and protective actions, determining generic operational guidelines and assessment of risks for population exposure. The aim of the present study is to illustrate the effects of two different cases of intentional release. Results have been analyzed and presented here. In both cases the extent of contamination (area and activity) mainly depends on: particle size; the height of release and local weather conditions.