• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.545-552
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• 2002

We developed an ultra low background gamma ray spectrometer particularly suitable for experiment which require lower detection limit. The background of a germanium spectrometer is suppressed by applying active and passive shielding technique at the same time. The active shielding devices consist of plastic scintillating plates of 50 mm thick and anti-coincidence electronic system. The shielding is made of 150 mm thick walls of very low activity lead,20 mm with activity of <10 Bq/kg and 130 mm with activity of <50 Bq/kg. The observed background count rates are 1.2 $s^{-1}$ and 0.36 $s^{-1}$ without and with the active shielding, respectively, overall the energy regions from 30 keV to 3 MeV The cosmic ray induced background is suppressed by a rate of 0.8 $s^{-1}$ at the present work. The detection efficiency curve necessary to obtain the radioactivity of environmental samples has been precisely determined on the energy regions from 80 to 2000 keV with a 10$^3$ ml marinelli beaker sample, consisting of the calibrated radionuclides $^{109}$ Cd, $^{57}$ CO, $^{139}$ Ce, $^{203}$ Hg, $^{113}$ Sn, $^{85}$Sr, $^{137}$ Cs, $^{60}$ Co and $^{88}$ Y. Virtues Of the method are demonstrated by measuring the activity of $^{137}$ Cs contained in the powdered milk.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.477-484
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• 2000

To estimate the degree of intake of $^{238}$ U and $^{232}$ Th through daily diet, a Korean mixed diet sample was prepared after the investigation of the amount of consumption of the daily diet which corresponds to the age of 20 to 60 years. For the analysis of U and Th, the RNAA method was applied. Two standard reference materials were used for quality control and assurance and the analytical results were compared with a certified value. The determination of U and Th in the Korean mixed diet sample was carried out under the same analytical conditions and procedures with SRM. It is found that the concentration of U and Th in a Korean mixed diet was about 35.4 ppb and 3.4 ppb. From these results, the daily intake of $^{238}$ U and $^{232}$ Th by diet is evaluated to be 6.98 and 0.67 $\mu\textrm{g}$ per day, respectively. Radioactivities related to the intake of $^{238}$ U and $^{232}$ Th were estimated to be about 86 mBq and 27 mBq per person per day and the annual dose equivalents from $^{238}$ U and $^{232}$ Th revealed as 3.18 $\mu$Sv and 0.29 $\mu$Sv per person, respectively.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.419-423
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• 2007

Environmental low level tritium analysis was studied using liquid scintillation counter(LSC) and electrolytic enrichment method. To obtain low level blank count, various counting vials were investigated. Among them, teflon coated PE vial had a lower blank count rate (1.86 cpm) and we obtained 2.01 Bq/L detection and tritium separation factor was above 20. LSC counting efficiency obtained $28.70{\pm}0.27%$ using the NIST tritium standard water sample.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.155-166
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• 2024

In this study, a liquid scintillation spectrometer was developed for online continuous monitoring of tritium nuclides in water. The device consists of two photoelectron multiplier tubes (PMT), a simultaneous counting circuit, and a signal processing unit including a multi-channel analyzer (MCA). As a method to verify the performance of the equipment developed in this study, samples were prepared using a standard source, and the spectrum of tritium was measured to evaluate the detector characteristics such as efficiency, background (BKG), and minimum detectable activity (MDA). To evaluate the effect of pretreatment on tritium radioactivity measurement results, the MDA of water (seawater and groundwater) samples before and after pretreatment was calculated and compared. The results of the evaluation confirmed the satisfaction of the reference values of the Nuclear Safety Commission's "Discharge Control Standard in Drainage Water" and the World Health Organization's (WHO) "Tritium Radioactivity Concentration for Drinking Water Standards". The liquid scintillation spectrometer developed in this study, with or without pretreatment, confirmed detection performance equivalent to 1/100th of the discharge control standard for drainage water (40,000 Bq L^-1) and the WHO's drinking water standard for tritium radioactivity (10,000 Bq L^-1).

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2016

This study presented an analytical method for detecting radium in soils using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The isotope ²²⁶Ra was extracted from soil using the fusion method and then separated from interfering radionuclides using the precipitation method. Radium was coprecipitated as sulfate salts with barium (Ba) and then converted into Ba(Ra)CO₃, which is soluble in an acidic solution. The isotope ²²²Rn, the decay progeny of ²²⁶Ra, was trapped in a water immiscible cocktail and analyzed by LSC. The pulse shape analysis (PSA) level was estimated using ⁹⁰Sr and ²²⁶Ra standard solutions. The figure of merit was the highest at PSA 80, while the alpha spillover was the lowest at PSA 80. The counting efficiency was 243 ± 2% in a glass vial. This analytical method was verified with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reference materials, including IAEA-312, IAEA-314, and IAEA-315. The recovery ranged from 60–82%, while the relative bias between the measured value and the recommended value was less than 10%. The minimum detectable activity was 2.1 Bq kg⁻¹ with dry mass 1 g, the background count rate of 0.02 cpm, the recovery rate of 70% and counting time of 30 min.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.103-115
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• 1995

For the determination of $^{222}Rn$ in water by a very simple and time saving liquid scintillation counting method that does not require any chemical separation, an optimum analytical condition has been investigated. The optimum pulse shape analysis(PSA) level for the measurement of $^{222}Rn$ using LKB 1220 Quantulus liquid scintillation counter was 110 for Optiphase HiSafe3 cocktail and 90 for toluene-based cocktail. The counting efficiencies of $^{222}Rn$ in the window covering u spectra using Optiphase HiSafe3 cocktail were 282.2% for glass vial and 271.6% for Teflon vial, whereas the counting efficiencies in toluene-based cocktail were 262.3% and 247.5% for glass and Teflon vials, respectively. The minimum detectable activity(MDA) in the u window for a 60-min measurement with a Teflon vial using Optiphase HiSafe3 cocktail was $0.30Bq/{\iota}$. The analytical method studied from this work was also applied to the determination of $^{222}Rn$ in some groundwater and hot spring water samples.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 2007

Various kinds of RI wastes are discharged from licensed organizations of radioisotopes les such as hospitals and clinic organizations, educational organizations, research institutions, and public organizations. Radioiodines such as $^{125}I\;and\;^{131}I$ are radioisotopes mainly used in nuclear medicine and industry. A method for the determination of radioiodines in RI wastes has been applied to measure low level activity using acid decomposition method and HPGe gamma ray spectrometer. Prior to analysis of real samples, $^{131}I$ reference solution and 10 g of yellow tissue paper was added to flask in mantle and was heated in 100 mL of 0.4 N $K_2Cr_2O_7$ and 100 mL of 9 M $H_2SO_4$, and then distilled after adding 10 mL of 30% $H_2PO_3$ and 1 mL of 30% $H_2O_2$. The condensed iodine by circulator was extracted into $CCl_4$, then back-extracted into the aqueous phase with 10 mL of 5% $K_2SO_2$ solution. Finally, $^{131}I$ was measured at 364.48 keV using HPGe gamma ray spectrometer after precipitation and filtration. Chemical yield of three steps such as acid decomposition process, chemical separation process, and precipitation and filtration process was more han 94% respectively, MDA(Minimum Detectable Activity) of $^{131}I$ at this analytical condition was 0.6 Bq/g.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.149-160
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• 2018

A large number of functional living products are being produced for eco-friendly or health-promoting purposes. In the manufacturing process, such products could be adulterated with raw materials with high radioactivity, such as monazite and tourmaline. Thus, it is essential to manage raw materials and products closely related to the public living. For proper management, an accurate radioactivity data of the processed products are needed. Therefore, it is essential to develop a rapid and validated analytical method. In this study, the concentration of the radioactive $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ in building materials (e.g., tile, cement, paint, wall paper, and gypsum board) and living products (e.g., health products, textiles, and minerals) were determined and compared by ED-XRF and ICP-MS. By comparing the results of both methods, we confirmed the applicability of the rapid screening and precise analysis of ED-XRF and ICP-MS. In addition, $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ levels were relatively lower in building materials than in living products. Particularly, $^{232}Th$ content in 6 of 47 living products exceeded (maximum $8.2Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$) the standard limit of $^{232}Th$ content in raw material ($1.0Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.124-131
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• 2015

Radiation exposure to humans can be caused by the gamma rays emitted from natural radioactive elements(such as uranium, thorium and potassium and any of their decay products) of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials(NORM) or Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials(TENORM) added consumer products. In this study, assume that activity of radioactive elements is $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$, $^{232}Th$ $1Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$, $^{40}K$ $10Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$ and the gamma rays emitted from these natural radioactive elements radioactive equilibrium state. In this study, reflected End-User circumstances and evaluated annual exposure dose for products based on ICRP reference voxel phantoms and ICRP Recommendation 103 using the Monte Carlo Method. The consumer products classified according to the adhere to the skin(bracelet, necklace, belt-wrist, belt-ankle, belt-knee, moxa stone) or not(gypsum board, anion wallpaper, anion paint), and Geometric Modeling was reflected in Republic of Korea "Residential Living Trend-distributions and Design Guidelines For Common Types of Household.", was designed the Room model($3m{\times}4m{\times}2.8m$, a closed room, conservatively) and the ICRP reference phantom's 3D segmentation and modeling. The end-user's usage time assume that "Development and Application of Korean Exposure Factors." or conservatively 24 hours; in case of unknown. In this study, the results of the effective dose were 0.00003 ~ 0.47636 mSv per year and were confirmed the meaning of necessary for geometric modeling to ICRP reference phantoms through the equivalent dose rate of belt products.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 2012

Purpose : In myocardial perfusion SPECT, the type of orbit (circular vs. body contouring) that affect the image quality is still on the debate. Presently in the nuclear medicine field, the body contouring orbit acquisition is widely used to improve the image quality on the myocardial perfusion SPECT. But in case of body contouring acquisition using the vertical method with dual detect machine, there is a tendency of increasing the radius. In this research, we compared body contouring orbit acquisition with circular orbit acquisition, so we suggest ideal method that reduces the radius for improving image quality. Materials and Methods : Phantom and clinical studies were performed. The anthropomorphic torso phantom was made on equally with counts from patient's body. The study was performed under six different conditions. To compare image quality according to the radius, we increased radius sequentially per step during circular orbit acquisition. On the other hand, sensors that protect a collision and reduce the radius automatically were used to acquire image during body contouring orbit acquisition. So we compared FWHM value of apex. In clinical studies, we analyzed the 40 patients who were examined by Tl-201 gated myocardial perfusion SPECT in department of nuclear medicine at Asan Medical Center in August 2011. To acknowledge the differences according to the radius, we acquired the results two times using circular orbit acquisition and body contouring orbit acquisition. Results : In phantom study, we analyzed that increase of radius resulted in changes of FWHM value. It was 5.41, 6.24, 6.33, 6.42, 6.93 mm. On the other hand, using the body contouring orbit acquisition, FWHM value was 6.23 mm. In clinical study, difference of average radius between two methods was 2.5 cm (circular orbit acquisition was more close to patients). Conclusion : Through the experiments using Anthropomorphic torso phantom and patients data, we found that FWHM value of circular orbit acquisition was lower than body contouring orbit acquisition. As a result, if the difference of average radius exists approximately 3 cm, circular orbit type acquisition is better than body contouring type acquisition. But clinical investigation is only aimed to average radius, so it needs more investigation in comparison of patient's image.