The RaCoS project will couple field investigation, theoretical research, and mathematical modeling in order to develop a comprehensive methodology for the study of nuclear waste contamination and remediation. Mathematical models that describe groundwater flow and reactive transport will be used to help predict the migration and fate of contaminants and to evaluate the effectiveness of pollutant containment and aquifer/soil restoration measures. Existing numerical codes for the simulation of groundwater flow and transport will be elaborated and enhanced to include consideration of the specific chemical and physical processes relevant to the two sites, and to more general problems of radionuclide contamination of groundwater. The models will be integrated into an easy-to-use information management framework that will include the site data and other analysis tools such as geographic information systems. The models will be tested and calibrated on the basis of available field and laboratory data, and they will be applied to the Lake Karachai (South Ural) and Chernobyl sites located in Russia to perform the contaminant prediction and groundwater quality and remediation studies.
