Luigi Monte - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Luigi Monte
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2003
A variety of models for predicting the behaviour of radionuclides in fresh water ecosystems have ... more A variety of models for predicting the behaviour of radionuclides in fresh water ecosystems have been developed and tested during recent decades within the framework of many international research projects. These models have been implemented in Computerised Decision Support Systems (CDSS) for assisting the appropriate management of fresh water bodies contaminated by radionuclides. The assessment of the state-of-the-art and the consolidation of these CDSSs has been envisaged, by the scientific community, as a primary necessity for the rationalisation of the sector. The classification of the approaches of the various models, the determination of their essential features, the identification of similarities and differences among them and the definition of their application domains are all essential for the harmonisation of the existing CDSSs and for the possible development and improvement of reference models that can be widely applied in different environmental conditions. The present paper summarises the results of the assessment and evaluation of models for predicting the behaviour of radionuclides in lacustrine ecosystems. Such models were developed and tested within major projects financed by the European Commission during its 4th Framework Programme (1994-1998). The work done during the recent decades by many modellers at an international level has produced some consolidated results that are widely accepted by most experts. Nevertheless, some new results have arisen from recent studies and certain model improvements are still necessary.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 1991
ABSTRACT
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Feb 1, 2011
The present work illustrates the customisation and application of the decision support system MOI... more The present work illustrates the customisation and application of the decision support system MOIRA-PLUS (a MOdel-based computerised system for management support to Identify optimal remedial strategies for Restoring radionuclide contaminated Aquatic ecosystems and drainage areas) to the fresh water environment in Italy. MOIRA-PLUS is aimed at evaluating the behaviour of radiocaesium and radiostrontium in fresh water ecosystems and at assessing the appropriateness of suitable strategies for the management of contaminated water bodies by the application of multi-attribute analysis techniques. MOIRA-PLUS can be applied to complex networks of lakes, rivers and tributaries and can be straightforwardly customised utilising data and information from readily accessible sources such as official websites provided by scientific or government organisations. The present work shows an application of the decision system to 10 lakes and 18 rivers in Italy contaminated with (137)Cs of Chernobyl origin. Site-specific values of some aggregated transfer parameters were estimated for the most important Italian lakes. Although high values of fish and water consumptions were hypothesised, very low doses to public from the fresh water pathway following the accident were calculated.
Ecological Modelling, Nov 1, 1996
In the present paper, the principles of Empirically Based Uncertainty Analysis (EBUA) are describ... more In the present paper, the principles of Empirically Based Uncertainty Analysis (EBUA) are described. EBUA is based on the evaluation of 'performance indices' that express the level of agreement between the model and sets of empirical independent data collected in different experimental circumstances. Some of these indices may be used to evaluate the confidence limits of the model output. The method is based on the statistical analysis of the distribution of the index values and on the quantitative relationship of these values with the ratio 'experimental data/model output'. Some performance indices are described in the present paper. Among these, the so called 'functional distance' (d) between the logarithm of model output and the logarithm of the experimental data, defined as d 2= ~]'(ln M i-In Oi)2/l'l where M i is the ith experimental value, O i the corresponding model evaluation and n the number of the couplets 'experimental value, predicted value', is an important tool for the EBUA method• From the statistical distribution of this performance index, it is possible to infer the characteristics of the distribution of the ratio 'experimental data/model output' and, consequently to evaluate the confidence limits for the model predictions. This method was applied to calculate the uncertainty level of a model developed to predict the migration of radiocaesium in lacustrine systems. Unfortunately performance indices are affected by the uncertainty of the experimental data used in validation. Indeed, measurement results of environmental levels of contamination are generally associated with large uncertainty due to the measurement and sampling techniques and to the large variability in space and time of the measured quantities. It is demonstrated that this non-desired effect, in some circumstances, may be corrected by means of simple formulae•
The main aim of the present report is to describe selected models and the principles of the Decis... more The main aim of the present report is to describe selected models and the principles of the Decision Analysis theory that will be applied to develop the model-based computerised system `MOIRA`. A dose model and a model for predicting radiocaesium migration in lakes and the effects of countermeasures to reduce the contamination levels in the components of lacustrine system are described in detail. The principles for developing prototype models for predicting the migration of {sup 90}Sr in lake abiotic and biotic components are discussed. The environmental models described in the report are based on the use of `collective parameters` which due to mutual compensation effects of different phenomena occurring in complex systems, show low variability when the environmental conditions change. Use of such `collective parameters` not only increases the predictive power of the models, but also increases the practical applicability of the model. Among the main results described in the report, the development of an objective hierarchy table for evaluating the effectiveness of a countermeasure when the economic, social and ecological impacts are accounted for, deserves special attention.
... For this purpose, the water systems can be treated with different types of fertiliser (discha... more ... For this purpose, the water systems can be treated with different types of fertiliser (discharges from aquaculture, commercial fertiliser and P-enriched lime). ... The same methods for costing countermeasures should be used in this case as in the cost-benefit analysis. ...
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 1990
ABSTRACT
A Model-based Computerised System for Management Support to Identify Optimal Remedial Strategies ... more A Model-based Computerised System for Management Support to Identify Optimal Remedial Strategies for Restoring Radionuclide Contaminated Aquatic Ecosystens and Drainage Areas.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Aug 1, 2013
The present work describes the application of a non-linear Leslie model for predicting the effect... more The present work describes the application of a non-linear Leslie model for predicting the effects of ionising radiation on wild populations. The model assumes that, for protracted chronic irradiation, the effect-dose relationship is linear. In particular, the effects of radiation are modelled by relating the increase in the mortality rates of the individuals to the dose rates through a proportionality factor C. The model was tested using independent data and information from a series of experiments that were aimed at assessing the response to radiation of wild populations of meadow voles and whose results were described in the international literature. The comparison of the model results with the data selected from the above mentioned experiments showed that the model overestimated the detrimental effects of radiation on the size of irradiated populations when the values of C were within the range derived from the median lethal dose (L50) for small mammals. The described non-linear model suggests that the non-expressed biotic potential of the species whose growth is limited by processes of environmental resistance, such as the competition among the individuals of the same or of different species for the exploitation of the available resources, can be a factor that determines a more effective response of population to the radiation effects.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2002
In the present paper a generic model for predicting the long-term migration of radionuclides and ... more In the present paper a generic model for predicting the long-term migration of radionuclides and heavy metals from catchments is described. The model subdivides the catchment into a number of homogeneous, infinitesimal sub-catchments and integrates the radionuclide contributions from such sub-catchments to calculate the total flux of contaminant. It relates the radionuclide behaviour to the statistical distribution of the pollutant partition coefficient on the "ensemble" of sub-catchments. The methodology was validated for 90Sr and 137Cs by using data for water contamination in some European rivers. Values of migration parameters for Pu, Tc, I and Cd isotopes were obtained.
Ecological Modelling, 2013
This work is aimed at presenting and discussing a nonlinear Leslie model for predicting the effec... more This work is aimed at presenting and discussing a nonlinear Leslie model for predicting the effects of stressors on a biological population whose growth is limited by unfavourable factors such as the competition for the exploitation of the environmental resources. The model was applied to simulate the impact of ionising radiation on populations of mammals living in highly contaminated areas. After a brief review of the main properties of nonnegative matrices, it was demonstrated that the output of the suggested model is asymptotically stable. Analysis of the model results enlightened the importance of indirect systemic effects such as the enhanced capacity, under certain circumstances, of populations in more competitive conditions to resist the harmful influence of a stressor. The proposed model is simple and can be useful for understanding the behaviour of populations affected by radioactive and non-radioactive stressors.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Aug 1, 2014
This work presents and discusses the results of an application of the contaminant migration model... more This work presents and discusses the results of an application of the contaminant migration models implemented in the decision support system MOIRA-PLUS to simulate the time behaviour of the concentrations of (137)Cs of Chernobyl origin in water and fish of the Baltic Sea. The results of the models were compared with the extensive sets of highly reliable empirical data of radionuclide contamination available from international databases and covering a period of, approximately, twenty years. The model application involved three main phases: a) the customisation performed by using hydrological, morphometric and water circulation data obtained from the literature; b) a blind test of the model results, in the sense that the models made use of default values of the migration parameters to predict the dynamics of the contaminant in the environmental components; and c) the adjustment of the model parameter values to improve the agreement of the predictions with the empirical data. The results of the blind test showed that the models successfully predicted the empirical contamination values within the expected range of uncertainty of the predictions (confidence level at 68% of approximately a factor 2). The parameter adjustment can be helpful for the assessment of the fluxes of water circulating among the main sub-basins of the Baltic Sea, substantiating the usefulness of radionuclides to trace the movement of masses of water in seas.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2002
The present paper is aimed at assessing the long term behaviour of 90Sr migration from water to b... more The present paper is aimed at assessing the long term behaviour of 90Sr migration from water to bottom sediments of Lake Uruskul, Southern Urals, Russia. The lake was contaminated following the nuclear accident at the Mayak nuclear complex in 1957 (the Kyshtym accident). Some transfer parameters relevant to the behaviour of 90Sr in the water-sediment system were evaluated: a) the radionuclide migration velocity from the water column to the bottom sediment, b) the radionuclide migration rate from bottom sediment to water, and c) the radionuclide migration rate from bottom sediment to deep sediment. The estimated values of the above parameters were 6.4 x 10(-1) m s(-1), 5.7 x 10(-10) s(-1) and 5.2 x 10(-10) s(-1), respectively. These values were compared with data obtained for some Italian lakes contaminated by 90Sr after the nuclear weapons tests fallout. The relatively low radionuclide migration from water to sediment of these lakes is reflected by the values of the ratio migration velocity/migration rate from sediment to water (4 m and 12 m) that are significantly lower than the corresponding value in the Russian lake (112 m). The peculiar hydrochemical conditions of Lake Uruskul (high pH, high mineralisation, etc.) are considered to be responsible for the high radionuclide migration from water to sediment.
Elsevier eBooks, 2003
Publisher Summary This chapter describes radioactivity in lakes and rivers. Lakes and rivers are ... more Publisher Summary This chapter describes radioactivity in lakes and rivers. Lakes and rivers are extremely complex. Every aquatic system is unique. This chapter illustrates that, quantitative models are essential to predict, guide assessment and direct intervention. The chapter explores that, a decade ago ecosystem models has been rightly regarded with suspicion. Then, many lake models predicted, example, concentrations of toxins in fish within a factor of 10. Today, lake models can predict such targets along with one can measure, within a factor of 0.25 to 0.5. One reason for this is, in fact, the Chernobyl accident. Large quantities of 137 Cs were then released as a pulse. The predictive power of a model is not governed by the strength of the model's strongest part, but by the weakness of its weakest part. In the future, it would be very interesting to find general equations for the settling velocity for different categories of carrier particles, like humic matter, detritus and clays. In the future, it is interesting to find better general equations for one of the most fundamental model components, the particulate fraction, and for key substances in lakes and rivers. This value regulates the fraction of X in particulate form, which by definition is the only fraction that can settle out, and the dissolved form. This value is important not only for abiotic transport routes; it also regulates benthic and pelagic pathways.
All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of the Universal Copyri... more All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of the Universal Copyright Convention as adopted in 1952 (Berne) and as revised in 1972 (Paris). The copyright has since been extended by the World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva) to include electronic and virtual intellectual property. Permission to use whole or parts of texts contained in IAEA publications in printed or electronic form must be obtained and is usually subject to royalty agreements. Proposals for non-commercial reproductions and translations are welcomed and considered on a case-by-case basis. Enquiries should be addressed to the IAEA Publishing Section at:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2005
The dispersion of radioactive substances in the environment following nuclear weapon tests in atm... more The dispersion of radioactive substances in the environment following nuclear weapon tests in atmosphere since 1954 and accidents to nuclear plants, like that in Chernobyl in 1986, have allowed us to study the migration processes of some radionuclides in complex ecosystems such as lakes are. In the present paper the behavior of 137 Cs and 90 Sr in different compartments of the Monterosi Lake (central Italy) was assessed. The 137 Cs concentration was measured in lake water as well as sediment, stream water, aquatic plant and fish samples. 90 Sr concentration in water and sediments was also determined. A total inventory of 4206±76 Bq. m-2 and 958±79 Bq. m-2 (on 27/6/01) has been found for 137 Cs and 90 Sr, respectively. The experimental data presented here allow to calibrate theoretical models predicting the temporal trend of radionuclide concentration in similar ecosystems. Moreover, information on cesium and strontium migration processes can be extended to other pollutants having similar environmental behavior.
EC computer systems in the field of hydrological dispersion modelling and aquatic radioecological... more EC computer systems in the field of hydrological dispersion modelling and aquatic radioecological research: state of the art, end-user experiences and recommendations for improvements
Review, assessment and rationale of models implemented in decision support systems for the manage... more Review, assessment and rationale of models implemented in decision support systems for the management of fresh water bodies contaminated by radionuclides
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2003
A variety of models for predicting the behaviour of radionuclides in fresh water ecosystems have ... more A variety of models for predicting the behaviour of radionuclides in fresh water ecosystems have been developed and tested during recent decades within the framework of many international research projects. These models have been implemented in Computerised Decision Support Systems (CDSS) for assisting the appropriate management of fresh water bodies contaminated by radionuclides. The assessment of the state-of-the-art and the consolidation of these CDSSs has been envisaged, by the scientific community, as a primary necessity for the rationalisation of the sector. The classification of the approaches of the various models, the determination of their essential features, the identification of similarities and differences among them and the definition of their application domains are all essential for the harmonisation of the existing CDSSs and for the possible development and improvement of reference models that can be widely applied in different environmental conditions. The present paper summarises the results of the assessment and evaluation of models for predicting the behaviour of radionuclides in lacustrine ecosystems. Such models were developed and tested within major projects financed by the European Commission during its 4th Framework Programme (1994-1998). The work done during the recent decades by many modellers at an international level has produced some consolidated results that are widely accepted by most experts. Nevertheless, some new results have arisen from recent studies and certain model improvements are still necessary.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 1991
ABSTRACT
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Feb 1, 2011
The present work illustrates the customisation and application of the decision support system MOI... more The present work illustrates the customisation and application of the decision support system MOIRA-PLUS (a MOdel-based computerised system for management support to Identify optimal remedial strategies for Restoring radionuclide contaminated Aquatic ecosystems and drainage areas) to the fresh water environment in Italy. MOIRA-PLUS is aimed at evaluating the behaviour of radiocaesium and radiostrontium in fresh water ecosystems and at assessing the appropriateness of suitable strategies for the management of contaminated water bodies by the application of multi-attribute analysis techniques. MOIRA-PLUS can be applied to complex networks of lakes, rivers and tributaries and can be straightforwardly customised utilising data and information from readily accessible sources such as official websites provided by scientific or government organisations. The present work shows an application of the decision system to 10 lakes and 18 rivers in Italy contaminated with (137)Cs of Chernobyl origin. Site-specific values of some aggregated transfer parameters were estimated for the most important Italian lakes. Although high values of fish and water consumptions were hypothesised, very low doses to public from the fresh water pathway following the accident were calculated.
Ecological Modelling, Nov 1, 1996
In the present paper, the principles of Empirically Based Uncertainty Analysis (EBUA) are describ... more In the present paper, the principles of Empirically Based Uncertainty Analysis (EBUA) are described. EBUA is based on the evaluation of 'performance indices' that express the level of agreement between the model and sets of empirical independent data collected in different experimental circumstances. Some of these indices may be used to evaluate the confidence limits of the model output. The method is based on the statistical analysis of the distribution of the index values and on the quantitative relationship of these values with the ratio 'experimental data/model output'. Some performance indices are described in the present paper. Among these, the so called 'functional distance' (d) between the logarithm of model output and the logarithm of the experimental data, defined as d 2= ~]'(ln M i-In Oi)2/l'l where M i is the ith experimental value, O i the corresponding model evaluation and n the number of the couplets 'experimental value, predicted value', is an important tool for the EBUA method• From the statistical distribution of this performance index, it is possible to infer the characteristics of the distribution of the ratio 'experimental data/model output' and, consequently to evaluate the confidence limits for the model predictions. This method was applied to calculate the uncertainty level of a model developed to predict the migration of radiocaesium in lacustrine systems. Unfortunately performance indices are affected by the uncertainty of the experimental data used in validation. Indeed, measurement results of environmental levels of contamination are generally associated with large uncertainty due to the measurement and sampling techniques and to the large variability in space and time of the measured quantities. It is demonstrated that this non-desired effect, in some circumstances, may be corrected by means of simple formulae•
The main aim of the present report is to describe selected models and the principles of the Decis... more The main aim of the present report is to describe selected models and the principles of the Decision Analysis theory that will be applied to develop the model-based computerised system `MOIRA`. A dose model and a model for predicting radiocaesium migration in lakes and the effects of countermeasures to reduce the contamination levels in the components of lacustrine system are described in detail. The principles for developing prototype models for predicting the migration of {sup 90}Sr in lake abiotic and biotic components are discussed. The environmental models described in the report are based on the use of `collective parameters` which due to mutual compensation effects of different phenomena occurring in complex systems, show low variability when the environmental conditions change. Use of such `collective parameters` not only increases the predictive power of the models, but also increases the practical applicability of the model. Among the main results described in the report, the development of an objective hierarchy table for evaluating the effectiveness of a countermeasure when the economic, social and ecological impacts are accounted for, deserves special attention.
... For this purpose, the water systems can be treated with different types of fertiliser (discha... more ... For this purpose, the water systems can be treated with different types of fertiliser (discharges from aquaculture, commercial fertiliser and P-enriched lime). ... The same methods for costing countermeasures should be used in this case as in the cost-benefit analysis. ...
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 1990
ABSTRACT
A Model-based Computerised System for Management Support to Identify Optimal Remedial Strategies ... more A Model-based Computerised System for Management Support to Identify Optimal Remedial Strategies for Restoring Radionuclide Contaminated Aquatic Ecosystens and Drainage Areas.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Aug 1, 2013
The present work describes the application of a non-linear Leslie model for predicting the effect... more The present work describes the application of a non-linear Leslie model for predicting the effects of ionising radiation on wild populations. The model assumes that, for protracted chronic irradiation, the effect-dose relationship is linear. In particular, the effects of radiation are modelled by relating the increase in the mortality rates of the individuals to the dose rates through a proportionality factor C. The model was tested using independent data and information from a series of experiments that were aimed at assessing the response to radiation of wild populations of meadow voles and whose results were described in the international literature. The comparison of the model results with the data selected from the above mentioned experiments showed that the model overestimated the detrimental effects of radiation on the size of irradiated populations when the values of C were within the range derived from the median lethal dose (L50) for small mammals. The described non-linear model suggests that the non-expressed biotic potential of the species whose growth is limited by processes of environmental resistance, such as the competition among the individuals of the same or of different species for the exploitation of the available resources, can be a factor that determines a more effective response of population to the radiation effects.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2002
In the present paper a generic model for predicting the long-term migration of radionuclides and ... more In the present paper a generic model for predicting the long-term migration of radionuclides and heavy metals from catchments is described. The model subdivides the catchment into a number of homogeneous, infinitesimal sub-catchments and integrates the radionuclide contributions from such sub-catchments to calculate the total flux of contaminant. It relates the radionuclide behaviour to the statistical distribution of the pollutant partition coefficient on the "ensemble" of sub-catchments. The methodology was validated for 90Sr and 137Cs by using data for water contamination in some European rivers. Values of migration parameters for Pu, Tc, I and Cd isotopes were obtained.
Ecological Modelling, 2013
This work is aimed at presenting and discussing a nonlinear Leslie model for predicting the effec... more This work is aimed at presenting and discussing a nonlinear Leslie model for predicting the effects of stressors on a biological population whose growth is limited by unfavourable factors such as the competition for the exploitation of the environmental resources. The model was applied to simulate the impact of ionising radiation on populations of mammals living in highly contaminated areas. After a brief review of the main properties of nonnegative matrices, it was demonstrated that the output of the suggested model is asymptotically stable. Analysis of the model results enlightened the importance of indirect systemic effects such as the enhanced capacity, under certain circumstances, of populations in more competitive conditions to resist the harmful influence of a stressor. The proposed model is simple and can be useful for understanding the behaviour of populations affected by radioactive and non-radioactive stressors.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Aug 1, 2014
This work presents and discusses the results of an application of the contaminant migration model... more This work presents and discusses the results of an application of the contaminant migration models implemented in the decision support system MOIRA-PLUS to simulate the time behaviour of the concentrations of (137)Cs of Chernobyl origin in water and fish of the Baltic Sea. The results of the models were compared with the extensive sets of highly reliable empirical data of radionuclide contamination available from international databases and covering a period of, approximately, twenty years. The model application involved three main phases: a) the customisation performed by using hydrological, morphometric and water circulation data obtained from the literature; b) a blind test of the model results, in the sense that the models made use of default values of the migration parameters to predict the dynamics of the contaminant in the environmental components; and c) the adjustment of the model parameter values to improve the agreement of the predictions with the empirical data. The results of the blind test showed that the models successfully predicted the empirical contamination values within the expected range of uncertainty of the predictions (confidence level at 68% of approximately a factor 2). The parameter adjustment can be helpful for the assessment of the fluxes of water circulating among the main sub-basins of the Baltic Sea, substantiating the usefulness of radionuclides to trace the movement of masses of water in seas.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2002
The present paper is aimed at assessing the long term behaviour of 90Sr migration from water to b... more The present paper is aimed at assessing the long term behaviour of 90Sr migration from water to bottom sediments of Lake Uruskul, Southern Urals, Russia. The lake was contaminated following the nuclear accident at the Mayak nuclear complex in 1957 (the Kyshtym accident). Some transfer parameters relevant to the behaviour of 90Sr in the water-sediment system were evaluated: a) the radionuclide migration velocity from the water column to the bottom sediment, b) the radionuclide migration rate from bottom sediment to water, and c) the radionuclide migration rate from bottom sediment to deep sediment. The estimated values of the above parameters were 6.4 x 10(-1) m s(-1), 5.7 x 10(-10) s(-1) and 5.2 x 10(-10) s(-1), respectively. These values were compared with data obtained for some Italian lakes contaminated by 90Sr after the nuclear weapons tests fallout. The relatively low radionuclide migration from water to sediment of these lakes is reflected by the values of the ratio migration velocity/migration rate from sediment to water (4 m and 12 m) that are significantly lower than the corresponding value in the Russian lake (112 m). The peculiar hydrochemical conditions of Lake Uruskul (high pH, high mineralisation, etc.) are considered to be responsible for the high radionuclide migration from water to sediment.
Elsevier eBooks, 2003
Publisher Summary This chapter describes radioactivity in lakes and rivers. Lakes and rivers are ... more Publisher Summary This chapter describes radioactivity in lakes and rivers. Lakes and rivers are extremely complex. Every aquatic system is unique. This chapter illustrates that, quantitative models are essential to predict, guide assessment and direct intervention. The chapter explores that, a decade ago ecosystem models has been rightly regarded with suspicion. Then, many lake models predicted, example, concentrations of toxins in fish within a factor of 10. Today, lake models can predict such targets along with one can measure, within a factor of 0.25 to 0.5. One reason for this is, in fact, the Chernobyl accident. Large quantities of 137 Cs were then released as a pulse. The predictive power of a model is not governed by the strength of the model's strongest part, but by the weakness of its weakest part. In the future, it would be very interesting to find general equations for the settling velocity for different categories of carrier particles, like humic matter, detritus and clays. In the future, it is interesting to find better general equations for one of the most fundamental model components, the particulate fraction, and for key substances in lakes and rivers. This value regulates the fraction of X in particulate form, which by definition is the only fraction that can settle out, and the dissolved form. This value is important not only for abiotic transport routes; it also regulates benthic and pelagic pathways.
All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of the Universal Copyri... more All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of the Universal Copyright Convention as adopted in 1952 (Berne) and as revised in 1972 (Paris). The copyright has since been extended by the World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva) to include electronic and virtual intellectual property. Permission to use whole or parts of texts contained in IAEA publications in printed or electronic form must be obtained and is usually subject to royalty agreements. Proposals for non-commercial reproductions and translations are welcomed and considered on a case-by-case basis. Enquiries should be addressed to the IAEA Publishing Section at:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2005
The dispersion of radioactive substances in the environment following nuclear weapon tests in atm... more The dispersion of radioactive substances in the environment following nuclear weapon tests in atmosphere since 1954 and accidents to nuclear plants, like that in Chernobyl in 1986, have allowed us to study the migration processes of some radionuclides in complex ecosystems such as lakes are. In the present paper the behavior of 137 Cs and 90 Sr in different compartments of the Monterosi Lake (central Italy) was assessed. The 137 Cs concentration was measured in lake water as well as sediment, stream water, aquatic plant and fish samples. 90 Sr concentration in water and sediments was also determined. A total inventory of 4206±76 Bq. m-2 and 958±79 Bq. m-2 (on 27/6/01) has been found for 137 Cs and 90 Sr, respectively. The experimental data presented here allow to calibrate theoretical models predicting the temporal trend of radionuclide concentration in similar ecosystems. Moreover, information on cesium and strontium migration processes can be extended to other pollutants having similar environmental behavior.
EC computer systems in the field of hydrological dispersion modelling and aquatic radioecological... more EC computer systems in the field of hydrological dispersion modelling and aquatic radioecological research: state of the art, end-user experiences and recommendations for improvements
Review, assessment and rationale of models implemented in decision support systems for the manage... more Review, assessment and rationale of models implemented in decision support systems for the management of fresh water bodies contaminated by radionuclides