• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.75-83
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• 2012

2011년 3월 11일 일본 후쿠시마(福島) 원전 사고 1주년을 계기로 청소년의 방사선 인식도를 알아 본 뒤 이를 일반 성인을 대상으로 동일 설문을 이용해 거의 비슷한 시기에 조사한 결과와 비교하고자 하였다. 연구 방법론적 설계는 양적 조사를 하고, 빈도 분석을 하였다. 조사 대상은 미래 세대인 15세 중학교 3학년 학생으로 한정하였으며, 조사 도구인 설문지를 직접 배포하여 유효 응답지인 2,217부를 기준으로 분석하였다. 설문은 40문항으로 구성하였으며, 하위 영역별 크론바하 알파(Cronbach's ${\alpha}$) 계수는 '방사선의 자아 인식' 0.494, '방사선의 위험' 0.843, '방사선의 편익' 0.748, '방사선의 안전관리' 0.692, '방사선의 정보원' 0.819, '후쿠시마 사고의 영향 정도' 0.675로 대부분 높은 것으로 나타났다. 설문 분석 결과 응답자의 방사선 개념에 대한 지식은 100점 만점으로 환산시 67.4점(성인 69.5점)으로 높지 않았다. 후쿠시마 사고의 영향은 성인보다 덜 받은 것으로 조사됐는데, 다음 문항에서 '그렇다' 또는 '매우 그렇다'고 응답한 비율에서 잘 드러난다. '후쿠시마 사고의 영향으로 원전을 하지 말아야 한다는 쪽으로 생각을 바꿨다'는 문항에는 전체의 27.0%(성인은 38.9%)가, '후쿠시마 원전 사고로 인한 피해는 측정이 불가능할 만큼 막대하다'는 문항에는 전체의 65.7%(성인은 86.6%)가, '후쿠시마 원전 사고는 원자력 발전소 안전에 대한 경각심을 높이는 데 기여하였다'는 문항에는 전체의 65.0%(성인 86.3%)가 그 같이 응답해 청소년의 후쿠시마 사고의 영향 정도가 상대적으로 낮은 것을 알 수 있다. 또 상당수의 문항에서 청소년들은 성인에 비해 '보통이다'라고 응답하는 비율이 높았는데, 이는 아직 청소년 자신의 방사선에 대한 인식이 제대로 정립되지 않았기 때문으로 해석된다. 본 연구는 후쿠시마 원전 사고 이후 국내에서 청소년을 대상으로 방사선 인식도를 처음 조사했고, 일반 성인 조사 결과와도 비교한 것으로, 향후 정부의 방사선 정책 수립에 크게 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

This paper describes the radiation doses to human and non-human biota in the Republic of Korea, as a result of the Fukushima nuclear accident. By using the measured airborne activity and ground deposition, the effective and thyroid doses of five human age groups (infant, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years and adult) were estimated by the ECOSYS code, and the whole body absorbed dose rate of the eight Korean reference animals and plants (RAPs) was estimated by the K-BIOTA (the Korean computer code to assess the risk of radioactivity to wildlife). The first-year effective and thyroid human doses ranged from 5.7E-5 mSv in the infant group to 2.0E-4 mSv in the 5 years group, and from 5.0E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.4E-3 mSv in the 5 years group, respectively. The life-time (70 years) effective and thyroid human doses ranged from 1.5E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.0E-4 mSv in the 5 years group, and from 6.0E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.5E-3 mSv in the 5 years group, respectively. The estimated maximum whole body absorbed dose rate to the Korean RAPs was 6.7E-7 mGy/d for a snake living in soil (terrestrial biota), and 2.0E-5 mGy/d for freshwater fish (aquatic biota), both of which were far less than the generic dose criteria to protect biota from ionizing radiation. Also, the screening level assessment for ERICA's (Environmental Risks from Ionizing Contaminants: Assessments and management) limiting organisms showed that the risk quotient (RQ) for the estimated maximum soil and water activity was significantly less than unity for both the terrestrial and freshwater organisms. Conclusively, the radiological risk of the radioactivity released into the environment by the Fukushima nuclear accident to the public and the non-human biota in the republic of Korea is considered negligible.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.134-142
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• 2021

Background: From 2018 to 2020, the Expert Study on Public Understanding after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident (the Expert Study Group) identified and analyzed activities designed to promote public understanding of science and radiation since the Fukushima accident, and held discussions on how to achieve public understanding in the situation where public confidence has been lost, and how experts should prepare for dealing with the public. This panel session was held at the 53^rd meeting of the Japan Health Physics Society on June 30, 2020. Materials and Methods: First, three subgroup (SG) leaders reported their research methods and results. Then, two designated speakers, who participated as observers of the Expert Study Group, commented on the activities. Next, the five speakers held a panel discussion. Finally, the rapporteur summarized. Results and Discussion: SG leaders presented reports from researchers and practitioners in health physics and environmental risks who provided information after the Fukushima accident. During the discussion, experts in sociology and ethics discussed the issues, focusing on the overall goals of the three groups, local (personal) and mass communication, and ethical values. Many of the activities instituted by the experts after the accident were aimed at public understanding of science (that is, to provide knowledge to residents), but by taking into account interactions with residents and their ethical norms, the experts shifted to supporting the residents' decision-making through public engagement. The need to consider both content and channels is well known in the field of health communication, and overlaps with the above discussion. Conclusion: How to implement and promote the public engagement in society was discussed in both the floor and designated discussions. Cooperation between local communities and organizations that have already gained trust is also necessary in order to develop relationships with local residents in normal times, to establish an information transmission system, and to make it work effectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권8호
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• pp.2960-2973
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• 2022

Since Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP) accident in 2011, the importance of research on various severe accident phenomena has been emphasized. Particularly, detailed analysis of combustion risk is necessary following the containment damage caused by combustion in the Fukushima accident. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the risk of local hydrogen concentration increases and flame propagation using computational code. In particular, the potential for combustion by local hydrogen concentration in specific areas within the containment has been emphasized. In this study, the process of flame propagation generated inside a reactor core to containment during a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) was analyzed using MELCOR 2.1 code. Later in the LOCA scenario, it was expected that hydrogen combustion occurred inside the reactor core owing to oxygen inflow through the cold leg break area. The main driving force of the oxygen intrusion is the elevated containment pressure due to the molten corium-concrete interaction. The thermal and mechanical loads caused by the flame threaten the integrity of the containment. Additionally, the containment spray system effectiveness in this situation was evaluated because changes in pressure gradient and concentrations of flammable gases greatly affect the overall behavior of ignition and subsequent containment integrity.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.33-46
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• 2015

During the past 10 years, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has performed a study to control hydrogen gas in the containment of the nuclear power plants. Before the Fukushima accident, analytical activities for gas distribution analysis in experiments and plants were primarily conducted using a multidimensional code: the GASFLOW. After the Fukushima accident, the COM3D code, which can simulate a multidimensional hydrogen explosion, was introduced in 2013 to complete the multidimensional hydrogen analysis system. The code validation efforts of the multidimensional codes of the GASFLOW and the COM3D have continued to increase confidence in the use of codes using several international experimental data. The OpenFOAM has been preliminarily evaluated for APR1400 containment, based on experience from coded validation and the analysis of hydrogen distribution and explosion using the multidimensional codes, the GASFLOW and the COM3D. Hydrogen safety in nuclear power has become a much more important issue after the Fukushima event in which hydrogen explosions occurred. The KAERI is preparing a large-scale test that can be used to validate the performance of domestic passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs) and can provide data for the validation of the severe accident code being developed in Korea.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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• 제13권9호
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• pp.281-287
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• 2013

본 연구는 부산광역시 거주민을 대상으로 배경 변인에 따라 방사선에 대한 지식, 지식수준의 지각, 방사선의 편익과 원자력 위험에 대한 인식, 그리고 후쿠시마 원전 사고 관련 정보수집과 인식 등은 어떻게 다른지를 알아보기 위한 목적으로 진행되었다. 분석을 위한 연구 대상은 414명의 거주민이다. 그 결과, 조사대상자들은 방사선의 필요성은 원칙적으로 인정하나 안전성에 대해서는 부정적인 인식을 가지고 있는 것으로 분석되었다. 이러한 부정적 인식은 방사선에 대한 지식을 기반으로 한 것이 아니라 과거 원전 사고 등에 기인한 것으로 판단되며, 향후 올바른 인식 전환을 위해서는 미디어를 통한 방사선과 원자력에 대한 교육과 홍보 그리고 방사선지식의 폭을 넓히고 나아가 보다 다양한 측면에서 시민들의 인식 변화를 위한 노력이 필요하다고 사료된다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

2011년 3월 11일 발생한 일본 후쿠시마 원전 사고 1주년을 계기로 한국 국민의 방사선 인식도를 조사하고자 하였다. 연구 방법론적 설계는 양적 조사로 하고, 빈도 분석을 하였다. 분석 대상은 전국에서 무작위로 추출한 일반인으로부터 수거한 설문 응답지 2754부이다. 연구 도구는 설문지이며, 직접 배포한 뒤 수거하였다. 설문은 40문항으로 구성하였으며, 하위영역별 크론바하 알파(Cronbach's ${\alpha}$) 계수는 '방사선의 자아인식' 0.620, '방사선의 위험' 0.830, '방사선의 편익' 0.781, '방사선의 관리' 0.685, '방사선의 정보원' 0.831, '후쿠시마 사고의 영향 정도' 0.763으로 모두 높게 나타났다. 설문 분석 결과 응답자의 방사선 개념에 대한 지식은 100점 만점 환산 평균 69.5점이며, 이는 자신들이 '방사선에 대해 잘 알고 있다'고 응답한 비율 53.7%, '보통 알고 있다'는 응답이 37.4%인 것과는 상당히 다른 결과다. '방사선이 위험하다'고 느끼는 중요 원인 중 하나는 '방사선에 노출되면 지금은 아니더라도 다음 세대에 문제가 생길 수 있기 때문'(66.1%)으로 분석됐다. 방사선에 대한 정부 발표를 믿지 못하는 응답자가 41%에 이르러 정부에 대한 불신이 높았다. 후쿠시마 원전 사고 때문에 원전을 운영하지 말아야 한다는 쪽으로 생각을 바꾼 응답자도 39.5%나 됐다. 본 연구는 후쿠시마 원전 사고 이후 방사선에 대한 한국 국민의 인식을 처음 조사한 것으로 그 의의가 크다. 향후 방사선에 대한 정부의 정책 수립에도 크게 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2011년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.331-336
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• 2011

When the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident occurred in March, a hydrogen explosion in the reactor building at the 4th unit of Fukushima plants lead to a big surprise because the full core of the unit 4 reactor had been moved and stored underwater at the spent nuclear fuel storage pool for periodic maintenance. It was because the potential criticality in the fuel storage pool by coolant loss may yield more severe situation than the similar accident happened inside the reactor vessel. In the paper, the safety state of the spent fuel storage pool and rack structures of the domestic nuclear plants would be reviewed and compared with the Fukushima plant case by engineering viewpoint of potential severe accidents.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.133-140
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• 2016

Backgrounds: The accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), March 2011, caused serious radioactive contamination over wide area in east Japan. Therefore, it is important to know the effect of the accident and the status of NPP. Materials and Methods: This paper provides a review on the status of radiation dose and radioactive contamination caused by the accident on the basis of publicized information. Results and Discussion: Monitoring of radiation dose and exposure dose of residents has been conducted extensively by the governments and various organizations. The effective dose of general residents due to the accident proved to be less than a mSv both for external and internal dose. The equivalent committed dose of thyroid was evaluated to be a few mSv in mean value and less than 50 mSv even for children. Monitoring of radioactivity concentration has been carried out on food ingredients, milk and tap water, and actual meal. These studies indicated the percentage of foods above the regulation standard was over 10% in 2011 but decreasing steadily with time. The internal dose due to foods proved to be tens of ${\mu}Sv$ and much less than that due to natural $^{40}K$ even in the Fukushima area and decreasing steadily, although high level concentration is still observed in wild plants, wild mushrooms, animals and some kind of fishes. Conclusion: According to extensive studies, not only the effect of the accident but also the pathway and countermeasures against radioactive contamination have been revealed, and they are applied very effectively for restoration of environment and reconstruction of the area.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.117-124
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• 2013

Objective: This paper presents additional considerations related to organization and safety culture extracted from recent human error incidents in Korea, such as station blackout(i.e., SBO) in Kori#1. Background: Safety culture has been already highlighted as a major cause of human errors after 1986 Chernobyl accident. After Fukushima accident in Japan, the public acceptance for nuclear energy has taken its toll. Organizational characteristics and culture became elucidated as a major contributor again. Therefore many nuclear countries are re-evaluating their safety culture, and discussing any preparedness and its improvement. On top of that, there was an SBO in 2012 in the Kori#1. Korean public feels frustrated due to the similar human errors causing to a catastrophe like Fukushima accident. Method: This paper reassesses Japan's incidents, and revisits Korea's recent incidents. It focuses on the analysis of the hazards rather than the causes of human errors, the derivation of countermeasures, and their implementation. The preceding incidents and conclusions from Japanese experience are also re-analyzed. The Fukushima accident was an SBO due to the natural disaster such as earthquakes and a successive tsunami. Unlike the Fukushima accident, the Kori#1 incident itself was simple and restored without any loss and radioactive release. However, the fact that the incident was deliberately concealed led to massive distrust. Moreover, the continued violation of rules and organized concealment of the accident are serious signs of a new distorted type of human errors, blatantly revealing the cultural and fundamental weakness of the current organization. Result: We should learn from Japanese experiences who had taken pride in its safety technology and fairly high confidence in safety culture. Japan's first criticality accident in JCO facility splashed cold water on that confidence. It has turned out to be a typical case revealing the problems in the organization and safety culture. Since Japan has failed to gain lessons and countermeasure, the issue persists to the Fukushima incident. Conclusion: Safety culture is not a specific independent element, which makes it difficult to either evaluate it properly or establish countermeasures from the lessons. It may continue to expose similar human errors such as concealment of incident and manipulation of bad data. Application: Not only will this work establish the course of research for organization and safety culture, but this work will also contribute to the revitalization of Korea's nuclear industry from the disappointment after the export contract to UAE.