Modeling radionuclide transport in urban overland flow: a case study

This paper presents a case study demonstrating the process used to develop an overland flow model of radionuclide transport following an aerosol deposition from a hypothetical radiological dispersal device explosion. The process included the integration of digital elevation, building, and land cover information with hydrologic information from a calibrated Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) model. The overland flow model was used to explore the impact of washoff parameter selection and different storm events on radionuclide transport in surface flow. The range of washoff parameters used in the literature resulted in over a 7 times difference in radionuclide washoff, from a small surface removal to nearly full removal. The overland flow model illuminated the primary pathways of contaminant transport, a potentially useful tool that informs emergency response, planning, and remediation activities.