• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2009

Whole body counters (WBCs) are used to monitor radiation workers for internal contamination of radionuclides at domestic nuclear power plants (NPPs). A WBC is a scintillation detector using sodium iodide (NaI) and provides the identification of inhaled radionuclide and the measurement of its internal radioactivity in a short time. However, it is often possible to estimate external contamination as internal contamination due to radionuclides attached to the skin of radiation workers and this leads to an excessively conservative estimation of radioactive contamination. In this study, several experiments using a WBC and the Korean humanoid phantom were performed to suggest the more systematic method of discrimination between external and internal contamination. Furthermore, a WBC geometry experiment was conducted to suggest the optimal WBC geometry in consideration of deposited areas inside the body for dominant radionuclides at NPPs. The procedure of measurement and estimation of internal radioactivity for radiation workers at NPPs was improved on the basis of experimental results. Thus, it is expected to prevent from estimating internal exposure dose conservatively owing to the application of accurate whole body counting program to NPPs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.236-236
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• 2004

삼중수소수 오염처리의 선행공정으로 적합한 전기분해-촉매교환 결합공정(CECE process)은 수소동위원소 산화물의 수소화 전환을 위한 전해셀과 다단 액상촉매 교환탑으로 이루어진 탈삼중수소 공정이다(그림 1). 촉매탑은 수소 흐름에 수증기를 동반하도록 하는 친수층과 수증기-수소간의 수소동위원소 교환반응을 유도하는 촉매층으로 구분되며, 탑 상부에는 수소의 산화 반응기 그리고 하부에는 물의 수소화 전해셀로 구성되어 있다(그림 2).(중략)

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.334-335
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• 2004

It is important that the contaminated air is not revealed to the outside of the facility. The inside of the facility should be classified into several zones according to the radioactivity and each zone should maintain tile differential negative pressure between the zones also. It is not easy to equilibrate the pressure during the operation. On the normal operation, the clogging of the HEPA filter and the opening of the doors/shutters influence very much. We could maintain the differential negative pressure between the zones by the constant watching and periodical replacement of the filters.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.99-105
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• 2005

A model for evaluating radioactive contamination in the urban environment, named METRO-K, was developed as a basic step for accident consequence analysis in case of an accidental release. The three kind of radionuclides $(^{137}Cs,\;^{106}Ru,\;^{131}I)$ and the different chemical forms of iodine (particulate, organic and elemental forms) are considered in the model. The radioactive concentrations are evaluated for the five types of surface (roof, paved road, wall, lawn/soil, tree) as a function of time. Using the model, the contaminative impacts of the surfaces were intensively investigated with respect to with and without precipitation during the measurement periods of radionuclides in air. In addition, a practical application study was conducted using $^{137}Cs$ concentration in air and precipitation measured in an European country at the Chernobyl accident. As a result precipitation was an influential factor in surface contamination. The degree of contamination was strongly dependent on the types of radionuclide and surface. Precipitation was more influential in contamination of $^{137}Cs$ than that of $^{131}I$ (elemental form).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2015

The low and intermediate-level radioactive waste generated in Korea is disposed of at Wolsong Disposal Facility. For the safety of a disposal facility, it must be assessed by considering some abnormal scenarios including human intrusion as well as those by natural phenomena. The human intrusion scenario is a scenario that an incognizant man of the disposal facility will be occurred by the drilling. In this paper, the well usage scenario was classified into the human intrusion event as the probability of the well drilling is very low during the man's lifecycle and then was assessed by using conservative assumptions. This scenario was assessed using the dilution factor of contaminants released from a disposal facility and then it was introduced the applied methodology in this study. The assessed scenario using this methodology is satisfied the regulatory limits.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.237-247
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• 2005

It is necessary to forecast the various dismantling activities prior to dismantling nuclear facilities by using various software instead of a physical mock-up system because the dismantling in a contaminated with radioactivity cause the results of an unexpected situation. The component that needs to develop a dismantling mock-up system was examined. There are many component systems such as a decommissioning database system,3D dosimetric mapping that represents a distribution of a radionuclide contamination, a component of modeling for nuclear facility and devices include the decontamination and decommissioning. The research of software architecture about these components was carried out because these component systems that have been independently doesn't describe not only to visual an activities of Decontamination and Decommissioning(D&D) but also to evaluate it. The result was established an architecture that consist of an visualization module which could be visualized an D&D activities and a simulation module which can be evaluated a dismantling schedule and decommissioning cost.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2015

The interest of the people in the radioactive contamination of the water has increased significantly and the study about analysis and management of radioactive materials are being actively conducted. And monitoring spots have been expanded to the range of public water as well as drinking water by publishing the rule of drinking water quality standards and examination in the Environmental Enforcement Ordinance No. 553 of Korea. In this study, US EPA was investigated as the foreign advanced cases and the way that is appropriate for the Korea was sought by analyzing investigate radionuclide, interval and management. As a result, in the selection part of investigate radionuclide, geological survey, status of nuclear power plants and the presence of the use of artificial radionuclides of the Korea should be investigated and additionally after the selection of a few radionuclides, the systems should be extended to cover all possible radionuclides by considering radioactive pollution levels in humans may be exposed due to the annual drinking water. In the part of the investigate interval, the concept(MCL, DL) should be set up for preventing concentration detection of above MCL and it needs to the maintenance and management. For example, when the concentration is more than MCL, it should be investigated on a quarterly and when the concentration is lower than MCL, it should be investigated to each different interval and management. And the US EPA divided the management area and make the roadmap for managing drinking water. The each classified area has been organized to match the state budget and labor force and the individual data have been managed effectively by HPGe, the NaI, TLD and so on.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2007

A conventional single compartment model cannot simulate reasonably the migration phenomenon of contaminants through unsaturated zone, due to the intrinsic unrealistic assumption of the compartment model that contaminants entering a compartment are immediately and uniformly mixed. Although, a multi-compartments model, in which even physically identical layer is divided into multiple compartments, may be used for explaining the retardation of contaminant mass flux along with increasing number of compartments, its numerical modeling is usually time-consuming and appropriate analytical solutions have not been reported yet. In order to improve the conventional compartment models on contaminant migration through unsaturated zone, a series of analytical solutions for multi-compartments model were derived and a generalized constraint under which the results from multi-compartments model can be simply approximated by single compartment model was proposed. The simplified approximation method was verified by a simple numerical analysis on the constraint under hypothetical conditions. It was also proved that the influent contaminant transfer rate from the bulk unsaturated zone can be generally represented into a time-dependent nominal transfer rate rather than a constant. In addition, the nominal transfer rate turned out to be very sensitive to the contaminant transfer rate between compartments in unsaturated zone, but to be almost insensitive to the transfer rate from contaminated zone. It is expected that the simplified approximation method developed in this study can be used for rapid and reasonable estimation of the migration phenomenon of contaminant through unsaturated zone, instead of time-consuming multi-compartments modeling.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.47-55
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• 2005

A design of a dismantling mock-up system have been established based on the result that analyzed a characteristic of modules which need to design a virtual dismantling facility. A unit program composed of a various module such as a decommissioning database system. 3D dosimetric mapping that represents a distribution of a radionuclide contamination, a evaluation module for a dismantling schedule and cost A research of software architecture was carried out in order to Integrate these components that have been independently operated. The result was established an architecture that consis of a visualization module which could be visualized D&D activities and a simulation module which tan he evaluated a dismantling schedule and decommissioning cost.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.123-131
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• 2009

Purpose: We tested a sample of nuclear medicine workers at Korean healthcare institutions for internal contamination with radioactive isotopes, measuring concentrations and evaluating doses of individual exposure. Materials and Methods: The detection and measurement was performed on urine samples collected from 25 nuclear medicine workers at three large hospitals located in Seoul. Urine samples were collected once a week, 100~200 mL samples were gathered up to 6~10 times weekly. A high-purity germanium detector was used to measure gamma radiations in urine samples for the presence of radioactive isotopes. Based on the detection results, we estimated the amounts of intake and committed effective doses using IMBA software. In cases where committed effective doses could not be adequately evaluated with IMBA software, we estimated individual committed effective doses for radionuclides with a very short half life such as $^{99m}Tc$ and $^{123}I$, using the methods recommended by International Atomic Energy Agency. Results: Radionuclides detected through the analysis of urine samples included $^{99m}Tc$, $^{123}I$, $^{131}I$ and $^{201}Tl$, as well as $^{18}F$, a nuclide used in Positron Emission Tomography examinations. The committed effective doses, calculated based on the radionuclide concentrations in urine samples, ranged from 0 to 5 mSv, but were, in the majority of cases, less than 1 mSv. The committed effective dose exceeded 1 mSv in three of the samples, and all three were workers directly handling radioactive sources. No nurses were found to have a committed effective dose in excess of 1 mSv. Conclusions: To improve the accuracy of results, it may be necessary to conduct a long-term study, performed over a time span wide enough to allow the clear determination of the influence of seasonal factors. A larger sample should also help increase the reliability of results. However, as most Korean nuclear medicine workers are currently not necessary to monitored routinely for internal contamination with radionuclides. Notwithstanding, a continuous effort is recommended to reduce any unnecessary exposure to radioactive substances, even if in inconsequential amounts, by regularly surveying workplace environments and frequently monitoring atmospheric concentrations of radionuclides.