The geochemical behavior of natural radionuclides in coastal waters: A modeling study for the Huelva estuary

A numerical model to study the behavior and distribution of natural radionuclides in sediments of an estuary (Odiel and Tinto rivers, SW Spain) affected by acid mine drainage and industrial activities has been developed. The model solves water circulation due to tides and river stream flows. The dis...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Periáñez Rodríguez, Raúl, Hierro, Almudena, Bolívar, Juan Pedro, Vaca, Federico
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/135748
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/135748
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2012.08.001
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Numerical modelling
Dispersion
Natural radionuclides
Odiel–Tinto estuary
Acid mine drainage
Phosphogypsum
Descrição
Resumo:A numerical model to study the behavior and distribution of natural radionuclides in sediments of an estuary (Odiel and Tinto rivers, SW Spain) affected by acid mine drainage and industrial activities has been developed. The model solves water circulation due to tides and river stream flows. The dispersion model includes uptake/ release reactions of radionuclides between the dissolved phase and bed sediments in a dynamic way, using kinetic transfer coefficients. Seasonal pH and chlorinity distributions are simulated, and a formulation has been developed to consider these seasonal variations on kinetic coefficients. Calculated concentrations of 226Ra and 238U in sediments have been compared with measurements from four seasonal sampling campaigns. Numerical experiments have been carried out to study the relative significance of the different radionuclides sources into the estuary as well as the effect of the two components of water circulation (tides are river flows) on radionuclide dispersion patterns.