• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2005

According to the Para. 5 of Art 2 of the Korean Nuclear Safety Regulations, which was revised in 1999, internal dose assessment as well as external one should be performed by law for employees at a nuclear power plant from 2003, and their estimate errors should also be within 50%. Thus, more accurate internal dosimetry becomes important. Corresponding to such regulation revision, we are developing a more accurate thyroid-uptake internal dosimetric system and have developed a Monte Carlo simulation code, the so-called CALEFF, to calculate the detection efficiency of the dosimetric system. In this paper, we calculated detection efficiencies with various test conditions by using the CALEFF code and discussed their characteristics. We may use the detection efficiency calculated by the code in calibrating the thyroid internal dose from measured data.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2011

Tritium is the one of the most important radionuclide for workers in nuclear power plants (NPPs) and the public, from the dosimetric point of view. Humans are likely to have internal radiation exposure by tritium inhalation. Radiation exposure by tritium accounts for approximately 7% and 60~90% of the total radiation exposure of NPP workers and the public during normal operation, respectively. Thus, many researches have been conducted to estimate the internal dose by tritium precisely in the world. In terms of tritium dosimetry, this paper provides the current status of research for tritium metabolism and dosimetry.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.129-136
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• 2009

During the maintenance period at Korean nuclear power plants, internal exposure of radiation workers occurred by the inhalation of $^{131}I$ released to the reactor building when primary system opened. The internal radioactivity of radiation workers contaminated by $^{131}I$ was measured using a whole body counter. Intake estimation and the calculation of committed effective dose were also conducted conforming to the guidance of internal dose assessments from publications of International Commission on Radiological Protection. Because the uptake and excretion of $^{131}I$ in a body occur quickly and $^{131}I$ is accumulated in the thyroid gland, the estimated intakes showed differences depending on the counting time after intake. In addition, since ICRP publications do not provide the intake retention fraction (IRF) for whole body of $^{131}I$, the IRF for thyroid was substitutionally used to calculate the intake and subsequently this caused more error in intake estimation. Thus, intake estimation and the calculation of committed effective dose were conducted by manual calculation. In this study, the IRF for whole body was also calculated newly and was verified. During this process, the estimated intake and committed effective dose were reviewed and compared using several computer codes for internal dosimetry.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.579-583
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• 2003

This study was to compare the Intake and Committed Effective Dose(CED) due to inhalation of I-131. The Intake and CED Calculations were based on KIDAC, LUDEP, MONDAL and IMBA computer codes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.317-320
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• 2005

More strict radioactive regulations are applied to Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs) since ICRP-60 recommendation for radiation protection and has been enforced since 2003. In particular. carbon-14 and tritium concentrations are significantly higher at CANDU reactors compared to PWR reactors and this increases the risk of internal radiation exposure to workers at CANDU NPPs. Thus, it is necessary to estimate the exact amount of internal radiation exposure to workers fur radiological protection at CANDU reactors. In this paper, the current dosimetry method for carbon-14 is analyzed for the establishment of internal dosimetry for carbon-14 at domestic NPPs.

• 대한방사선방어학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.88-89
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• 2009

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.216-222
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• 2015

Facilities processing raw materials containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) may give rise to enhanced radiation dose to workers due to chronic inhalation of airborne particulates. Internal radiation dose due to particulate inhalation varies depending on particulate properties, including size, shape, density, and absorption type. The objective of the present study was to assess inhalation dose sensitivity to physicochemical properties of airborne particulates. Committed effective doses to workers resulting from inhalation of airborne particulates were calculated based on International Commission on Radiological Protection 66 human respiratory tract model. Inhalation dose generally increased with decreasing particulate size. Committed effective doses due to inhalation of $0.01{\mu}m$ sized particulates were higher than doses due to $100{\mu}m$ sized particulates by factors of about 100 and 50 for $^{238}U$ and $^{230}Th$, respectively. Inhalation dose increased with decreasing shape factor. Shape factors of 1 and 2 resulted in dose difference by about 18 %. Inhalation dose increased with particulate mass density. Particulate mass densities of $11g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$ and $0.7g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$ resulted in dose difference by about 60 %. For $^{238}U$, inhalation doses were higher for absorption type of S, M, and F in that sequence. Committed effective dose for absorption type S of $^{238}U$ was about 9 times higher than dose for absorption F. For $^{230}Th$, inhalation doses were higher for absorption type of F, M, and S in that sequence. Committed effective dose for absorption type F of $^{230}Th$ was about 16 times higher than dose for absorption S. Consequently, use of default values for particulate properties without consideration of site specific physiochemical properties may potentially skew radiation dose estimates to unrealistic values up to 1-2 orders of magnitude. For this reason, it is highly recommended to consider site specific working materials and conditions and use the site specific particulate properties to accurately access radiation dose to workers at NORM processing facilities.

• 대한방사선방어학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.236-237
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• 2010

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.667-674
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• 2019

Because examination with technegas produces images through simple diffusion accumulation, the examination room can become contaminated after scan. Therefore, radiation workers and patients awaiting examination will be affected by internal exposure from technegas inhalation. Before and after gravity ventilation, I am trying to find a way to reduce the exposure dose of waiting patients according to a comparative analysis of horizontal spatial dose rates over time. Spatial dose ratio were measured for 10 minutes from various distances and angles around ventilator's location before and after gravity ventilation. Then, mean values, standard deviation and reduction ratio were calculated. The highest reduction rate of gravity ventilation was 95.31% and the highest reduction ratio was 1 to 3 minutes. Therefore, the gravity ventilation could reduce the exposure dose of radiologic technologists, waiting patients, patient guardians and nurses. In conclusion, the reduction of the exposure dose during the technegas ventilation study through gravity ventilation will play a role in optimiging the protection and it is in accordance with the recommended reduction of the medical exposure by ICRP 103.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2020

Removing radioactive concrete is crucial in the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. However, this process generates radioactive aerosols, exposing workers to radiation. Although large amounts of radioactive concrete are generated during decommissioning, studies on the internal exposure of workers to radioactive aerosols generated from the cutting of radioactive concrete are very limited. In this study, therefore, we calculate the internal radiation doses of workers exposed to radioactive aerosols during activities such as drilling and cutting of radioactive concrete, using previous research data. The electrical-mobility-equivalent diameter measured in a previous study was converted to aerodynamic diameter using the Newton-Raphson method. Furthermore, the specific activity of each nuclide in radioactive concrete 10 years after nuclear power plants are shut down was calculated using the ORIGEN code. Eventually, we calculated the committed effective dose for each nuclide using the IMBA software. The maximum effective dose of ¹⁵²Eu constituted 83.09% of the total dose; moreover, the five highest-ranked elements (¹⁵²Eu, ¹⁵⁴Eu, ⁶⁰Co, ²³⁹Pu, ⁵⁵Fe) constituted 99.63%. Therefore, we postulate that these major elements could be measured first for rapid radiation exposure management of workers involved in decommissioning of nuclear power plants, even if all radioactive elements in concrete are not considered.