EVALUATION OF FALLOUT CONTAMINATION FROM SURFACE RUNOFF.
Abstract
Studies of water contamination from fallout indicated that activity brought into a water supply by surface runoff increases the activity concentration considerably. These studies employed a constant value for the 'runoff coefficient' to estimate the degree of contamination resulting from the soluble fraction of fallout. The report investigates the vulnerability of the water supply systems of the 'Five Cities' to nuclear attack, taking into consideration availability of ground and surface water, effectiveness of treatment plants, and storage capacity. It was found that the fraction of U. S. cities using ground water have previously been overestimated. Data and records indicate clearly that about 80% of the U. S. population and daily water consumption in the U. S. is derived from surface water sources. The report also presents the complete activity deposition program, developed by the authors from the Miller-Brown fallout model and applies it to two test cases, Providence, Rhode Island and San Francisco, California. Also, the report presents a general solution to the problem of the transport of soluble activity in the runoff water. The erosion and transport of insoluble fallout, as well as the uptake of dissolved activity by suspended sediment, are discussed. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 10, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0690932
Entities
People
- Donald A. Kearns
- Henry S. Atlas
- Werner N. Grune
Organizations
- Merrimack College