Urban critical infrastructure disruption after a radiological dispersive device event

This study aims to evaluate the impacts of the activation of a hypothetical radiological dispersal device (RDD) on the urban critical infrastructure (health facilities and public transport). A densely populated urban region was chosen as a scenery. Additionally, the influence of local environmental factors in the post-detonation process was verified. The source term was Cs-137 due to its mobility in the environment and relative ease of access. The approach used for the evaluation of the consequences was a computer simulation by Gaussian modeling. The HotSpot Health Physics Codes software was applied in conjunction with the RESRAD-RDD software. The results suggest that there is a strong influence of the local atmospheric stability classes (Pasquill-Gifford classes) on both the total equivalent effective dose (TEDE) and soil contamination. Consequently, the impacts on critical urban infrastructure follow the same trend. The method used for comparing the simulated and reference limits was the proportional ratio. All calculated values for radioactive contamination were divided by the reference value adopted by the RESRAD-RDD model for urban critical infrastructure. The results indicate that the information compiled is useful to support the decision-making process, although it is not sufficient to provide care and support for longer periods than those considered in the initial response phase. •Urban critical infrastructure are severely impacted by the RDD.•Atmospheric stability strongly influences TEDE in the first hours.•Codes approaching together may provide better support to decision.