{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T05:26:59Z","timestamp":1776835619471,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757980800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Base Funding","award":["UIDB\/04028\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04028\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Base Funding","award":["UIDP\/04028\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/04028\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Programmatic Funding","award":["UIDB\/04028\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04028\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Programmatic Funding","award":["UIDP\/04028\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/04028\/2020"]}]},{"name":"FCT\/MCTES (PIDDAC)","award":["UIDB\/04028\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04028\/2020"]}]},{"name":"FCT\/MCTES (PIDDAC)","award":["UIDP\/04028\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/04028\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Atmosphere"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study analyzed the radiation dose rate in air, water and soil following a simulated Large Break LOCA (LBLOCA) accident in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant with a point-source release of radionuclides into the atmosphere. AERMOD and RESRAD-BIOTA 1.8 codes were used, with meteorological data processed by AERMET and terrain elevation data generated using AERMAP. AERMOD performed dispersion calculations using Gaussian and bi-Gaussian models. The simulations identified atmospheric stability classes C and F, which, combined with other external factors, directly influenced the dose rates and the distances reached by the radioactive plume. The dose rate analysis, based on calculated concentrations in the air, water and soil, indicated that, in this scenario, the potential release of radioactive material does not pose a threat to the population. The adopted methodology proved effective in mapping the behavior of the radioactive plume across the three media, providing accurate and reliable results for use in safety assessments and emergency response planning.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/atmos16091089","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T11:19:31Z","timestamp":1758021571000},"page":"1089","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Assessment of Radiological Plume Dispersion in LBLOCA-Type Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-3224-5638","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juliana de S\u00e1","family":"Sanchez Machado","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Nuclear Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil"},{"name":"CERENA, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-8397-2368","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diego Jos\u00e9 Silva Nuzza de","family":"Souza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nuclear Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4774-2533","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Lurdes","family":"Dinis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CERENA, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5715-6394","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andressa dos Santos","family":"Nicolau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nuclear Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"NEA (2025, April 06). 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