Assessment of environmental public exposure from a hypothetical nuclear accident for Unit-1 Bushehr nuclear power plant

Development and Validation of a New Domestic Software for Dose Assessment during Normal and Accident Conditions in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPS)

ABSTRACT

In this research, a comprehensive code called KIANA is developed based on the Gaussian plume model to simulate and predict the radiological consequences received through all the possible, reasonable, probable, and standard exposure pathways for NPPs and chemical facilities. To validate the KIANA code, a case study is modeled for Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Unit One (BNPP-1), and the KIANA code results are compared with the results of the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR-2017) data of BNPP-1. To assess the performance of the KIANA code, the total dose due to the airborne pathway in accident conditions including small break LOCA (SBLOCA), large break LOCA (LBLOCA), and equivalent exposure dose for the thyroid gland of a group of infants and children age 1 to 8 y at BNPP-1, are investigated. The KIANA code results show that the total effective doses do not exceed the regulatory limit of 5 mSv for external and internal exposures and the regulatory limit of 50 mSv for thyroid equivalent dose. The KIANA code results indicate good agreement with the results of FSAR-2017.

Design and development of a comprehensive program for the assessment and analysis of environmental effects due to the release of radioactive materials from the stack of nuclear installations: A case study in Bushehr nuclear power plant

The current investigation presents a comprehensive program called KIANA to assess and analyze the environmental effects due to the release of radioactive materials from the stack of nuclear installations. Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Unit One (BNPP-1) is modeled using the KIANA software and the release of radioactive materials from the BNPP-1 stack on the members of the public through the airborne pathway is evaluated during normal operation as well as in the accident conditions including Design Basis Accidents (DBA) and Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBA). To verify and validate the KIANA software, the results of the KIANA are compared with the results of DOZA_M, ESTE, PC-CREAM 98, RECASS Express, and the values of the total effective dose monitored by the local detectors of BNPP-1. The KIANA is developed based on the Gaussian diffusion model written using C# programming language. In the current research, the total effective dose received by a member of the public due to the radioactive plume passage through the airborne pathway is calculated in the normal condition of BNPP-1. Moreover, the total effective dose in the case of the primary-to-secondary leakage inside the steam generators, the total effective dose in the case of Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident (LBLOCA) and Small Break Loss of Coolant Accident (SBLOCA), and the equivalent dose of the thyroid gland tissue for an infant group (1-8 years old) in the case of LBLOCA in DBA conditions are evaluated. Finally, the absorbed dose of the whole body of adults at the initial stage after a BDBA, absorbed dose of the thyroid gland tissue for an infant group (1-8 years old) at the initial stage after a BDBA, and the total effective dose in the first year after the accident in the case of a BDBA are assessed. The results of the KIANA software indicate a good agreement with the results of the DOZA_M, ESTE, PC-CREAM 98, RECASS Express computer programs, and the values of the total effective dose monitored by the local detectors of BNPP-1. The developed software has the potential of calculations of concentration and radionuclide dose received through all the exposure pathways such as airborne, foodstuff, marine, soil, animals, and vegetation without any restriction in normal and accident conditions, simultaneously.

THE VALIDATION OF COMPREHENSIVE SOFTWARE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF RADIOLOGICAL IMPACTS ON HUMANS THROUGH BENCHMARK ANALYSIS WITH RADIOLOGICAL CODES

In this paper, a novel domestic code called KIANA was developed for the assessment of radiological impacts on the population in normal and accident conditions including design basis accident (DBA) and beyond DBA (BDBA) for the nuclear power plants. The validation process of the KIANA code was performed using the results of the DOZA_M radiological code, whose results are presented in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Unit One (BNPP-1). The calculations of KIANA are performed based on the Gaussian diffusion model. The developed KIANA code has the potential of calculating the concentration and radionuclide doses due to the pathways such as airborne, foodstuff, marine (both one and two boxes models), soils, animals, vegetation (with and without tritium) and other pathways without any restriction. In the current research, the individual dose from a cloud to the member of the public in the region of BNPP-1 in normal condition was calculated. Moreover, the total effective dose to the member of the public from the primary to the secondary leakage inside steam generators, large break loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA) and small break loss-of-coolant accident was calculated. Thyroid gland equivalent dose for the infant (1-8 years) in the case of LBLOCA at the BNPP in DBA conditions was also evaluated. Finally, the prevented dose at the initial stage for the whole body of adults after BDBA, prevented dose at the initial stage for the thyroid gland of children after BDBA and the effective dose during the first year after the accident (external body irradiation from presence in the area) in the case of BDBA are assessed. The KIANA simulation results showed a good agreement with the FSAR data of BNPP.

A study of the protective actions for a hypothetical accident of the Bushehr nuclear power plant at different meteorological conditions

In this work, protective actions have been studied assuming a hypothetical severe accident of the Bushehr nuclear power plant at different meteorological conditions. Simulations of the atmospheric dispersion of accidental airborne releases were performed using the RASCAL code. Total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) and thyroid dose received by members of the public living within a radius of 40 km around the reactor site were calculated for various atmospheric stability classes and weather conditions. According to the results of the dose assessment and by following the protective action guide of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the critical zone and appropriate protective actions were determined depending on various metrological conditions. It was found that, for atmospheric stability class F and calm weather conditions, the maximum distance from the site of release for which TEDE is greater than the corresponding dose limit and for which sheltering or evacuation response actions are required, is 11 km. For the same weather conditions, the corresponding maximum distance for which iodine prophylaxis is required is 32 km. Based on the present simulations, it can be concluded that the metrological condition has a great influence on the radionuclide atmospheric dispersion and, consequently, on the critical zone where protective actions are required after the assumed accident condition.

Hair 32P measurement for body dose mapping in non-fatal exposures to fast neutrons

Dosimetry bioassay methods are the backbone of a personal dosimetry in criticality accidents. Although methods like hair dosimetry and the use of activation foils (e.g., (32)S) have been employed for decades, capabilities of different techniques, effects of hair type and neutron spectrum on the dose response, sensitivity and uncertainties of different techniques, etc., need more investigations. For this reason, the use of the (32)S(n,p)(32)P reaction and hair samples for estimating non-fatal doses from fast neutrons was studied. The experiments were carried out with the hair samples attached on a RANDO phantom in a Cf-252 neutron field, in the dose range of about 0.05-1.15 Gy. In addition, the adequate post-accident preparation for hair samples including optimum conditioning and timing were investigated. Experimental results prove the good sensitivity and merit of the method for neutron quantification in the mentioned dose range for which other bioassay methods are of poor resolution and sensitivity. A rough estimation of the dose-response curve for Iranian hair was also derived.