• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제45권5호
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• pp.695-700
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• 2013

Thirty-eight radiation safety reports for brachytherapy equipment were evaluated to determine the current status of brachytherapy units in Korea and to assess how radiation oncology departments in Korea complete radiation safety reports. The following data was collected: radiation safety report publication year, brachytherapy unit manufacturer, type and activity of the source that was used, affiliation of the drafter, exposure rate constant, the treatment time used to calculate workload and the HVL values used to calculate shielding design goal values. A significant number of the reports (47.4%) included the personal information of the drafter. The treatment time estimates varied widely from 12 to 2,400 min/week. There was acceptable variation in the exposure rate constant values (ranging between 0.469 and 0.592 ($R{\cdot}m^2/Ci{\cdot}hr$), as well as in the HVLs of concrete, steel and lead for Iridium-192 sources that were used to calculate shielding design goal values. There is a need for standard guidelines for completing radiation safety reports that realistically reflect the current clinical situation of radiation oncology departments in Korea. The present study may be useful for formulating these guidelines.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.53-62
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• 2022

In this study, we have investigated the shielding evaluation methodology for facilities using kV energy generators. We have collected and analysis of safety evaluation criteria and methodology for overseas facilities using radiation generators. And we investigated the current status of shielding evaluation of domestic industrial radiation generators. According to the statistical data from the Radiation Safety Information System, as of 2022, a total of 7,679 organizations are using radiation generating devices. Among them, 6,299 facilities use these devices for industrial purposes, which accounts for a considerable portion of radiation. The organizations that use these devices evaluate whether the exposure dose for workers and frequent visitors is suitable as per the limit regulated by the Nuclear Safety Act. Moreover, during this process, the safety shields are evaluated at the facilities that use the radiation generating devices. However, the facilities that use radiating devices having energy less than or equal to 6 MV for industrial purposes are still mostly evaluated and analyzed according to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements 49 (NCRP 49) report published in 1976. We have investigated the technical standards of safety management, including the maximum permissible dose and parameters assessment criteria for facilities using radiation generating devices, based on the NCRP 49 and the American National Standards Institute/Health Physics Society N.43.3 reports, which are the representative reports related to radiation shielding management cases overseas.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.19-28
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• 2024

Background: This study aims to analyze radiation safety management and regulatory perceptions, focusing on companies that must report radiation sources. The intent is to reduce the gap between regulation measures and addressing real concerns while improving practical safety management measures and regulations for all stakeholders. Materials and Methods: Radiation safety officers at a total of 244 reporting companies using radiation generators (79.8%) and sealed radioisotopes (15.1%) were surveyed using a questionnaire. Results and Discussion: The perception that regulation is stronger than the actual risk of the radiation source used was 3.47 points (out of 5 points), indicating a score above average. The most important factors and considerations were education and training (48%) as a human factor, safety devices of the radiation source (71.3%) as a hazardous material factor, the use of radiation (50.8%) as an organizational environment, and the radiation effect of nearby facilities (67.2%) as a physical environment. Radiation safety management educational experience (F= 5.030, p< 0.01), the group with high subjective knowledge (t= 6.017, p< 0.001), and the group with high objective knowledge (t= 1.989, p< 0.05) was found to be better at radiation safety management. Conclusion: It is necessary to standardize the educational experience regarding radiation safety management because each staff member has individual differences in educational experience. It is necessary to provide more information on how to solve radiation accidents via educational content. Applying radiation safety regulations based on the factors that significantly affect radiation safety management shown in this survey will help improve safety.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.42-46
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to perform a survey of the radiation shielding design goals (P) and workload (W) based on the radiation safety reports concerned with structural shielding design for the IMRT treatment technique in Tomotherapy vaults. The values of the P and W factors as well as of a verified concrete thickness of the ceiling, bottom, sidewalls (sidewall-1 and sidewall-2), and door have been obtained from radiation safety reports for a total of 16 out of 20 vaults. The recommended and most widely used report for P values was the NCRP No. 151 report, which stated that the P factor in controlled and uncontrolled areas was 0.1 and 0.02 mSv/week, respectively. The range of the W factor was 600~14,720 Gy/week. The absorbed dose delivered per patient was 2~3 Gy. The maximum number of patients treated per day was 10~70. The quality assurance (QA) dose was 100~1,000 Gy/week. Fifteen values of the IMRT factor (F) were mostly used but a maximum of 20 values was also used. The concrete thickness for primary structures including the ceiling, bottom, sidewalls, and door was sufficient for radiation shielding. The P and W factors affect the calculation of the structural shielding design, and several parameters, such as the absorbed dose, patients, QA dose, days and F factor can be varied according to the type of shielding structure. To ensure the safety of the radiation shielding, it is necessary to use the NCRP No. 151 report for the standard recommendation values.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.467-474
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• 2014

The aim of this paper is to describe a relatively recent international agreement on the widely debated concepts of: (i) attributing effects to low dose radiation exposure situations that have occurred in the past and, (ii) inferring radiation risk to situations that are planned to occur in the future. An important global consensus has been recently achieved on these fundamental issues at the level of the highest international intergovernmental body: the General Assembly of the United Nations. The General Assembly has welcomed with appreciation a scientific report on attributing health effects to radiation exposure and inferring risks that had been prepared the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) following a formal request by the General Assembly.

• 대한방사선방어학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한방사선방어학회 2011년도 추계 학술발표회 및 심포지엄
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• pp.344-345
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• 2011

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.74-85
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• 1985

ICRU 보고서 39에서 새로이 정의된 의부방사선피폭에 의한 선량당량평가 목적의 네 가지 실용량에 대하여 그 도입의 배경과 기존량과의 관계, 그리고 방사선 방어 및 측정에서의 전망에 대하여 기술하였다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.409-417
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• 2016

Background: Airborne radioactive particulate in many important nuclear facilities (particularly nuclear power plants) will have a strong impact on the relative public dose if they are released into the corresponding environment traversing the stack or vents. The radiation protection researchers have regarded the relative environment assessing and estimation of public doses. And the model of assessing impact of discharges radioactive substance to the environment have been recommended by many international organizations (e.g. IAEA) with the nuclear energy safety and radiation protection. Materials and Methods: This paper introduced the generic models that were suggested by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for use in assessing the impact of discharges of radioactive substances to the environment (e.g. IAEA Safety Report Series No.19). Results and Discussion: The writers of this paper, based on the recommend methods, assessed the discharge limits in some airborne radioactive substances discharging standards. The reasons that IAEA method are introduced are mainly the following considerations: IAEA is one of international organizations with some authorities in the nuclear energy safety and radiation protection; and, more important, the recommend modes are operational methods rather than the methods having little operations such as that have used by some researchers. Conclusion: It is wish that the introduced methods in this paper can be referenced in draft or revise of the standards related to discharges of radioactive substances to the environment.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.193-200
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• 2013

2011년 3월 일본 동북해안의 지진과 해일, 그리고 연이은 후쿠시마 원전사고에 따른 국내의 방사선 피폭에 대하여 심각하게 우려되고 있다. 후쿠시마 원전에서 누출된 방사성 물질이 미량이나마 국내에도 검출되고 있어 방사성 물질에 대한 시민들의 불안감이 고조됨과 동시에, 국내 언론에서는 과학적인 접근 보다는 실시간으로 시민의 불안감에 편승하여 대중들을 방사선에 대한 공포로 몰아가는 상황이 자주 연출되고 있다. 이에 현상을 올바르게 직시하고 대안을 제시하기 위해 세계 각국의 보건, 의료기관 및 학술 단체에서는 의료방사선 안전문화 확산을 위해 다양한 정보를 제공하고, 의료방사선이 안전하다는 인식을 일반인에게 확산시키기 위한 캠페인을 실시하고 있다. 이에 국내에서도 지난 2011년 6월 초 식품의약품안전처의 제안으로 '의료용 방사선 관련 유관학회의 공동 심포지엄'의 개최를 위하여 마련된 유관학회 전문가 회의에서 공동 심포지엄의 개최 결정과 더불어, 의료용 방사선 안전을 위한 연합회 구성을 공식화하여 '의료방사선안전문화연합회(KARSM, the Korean Alliance for Radiation Safety and Culture in Medicine)'를 창립하게 되었다. 따라서 본 보고에서는 국외 의료방사선 안전문화 활동들에 대한 소개와 더불어 국내 의료방사선 안전문화 확산을 위한 의료방사선안전문화 연합회의 사업을 중점적으로 소개하고자 한다. 의료방사선 안전문화 확산과 관련한 여러 활동들을 통하여 일반 대중들에게 의료방사선의 막연한 공포감을 해소하고 바람직한 인식 형성에 기여하고자 한다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.96-98
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• 2010

Medical use of radiation is increasing in recent times and its influence on the population creates almost the same amount of annual natural background radiation in industrialized countries in particular. Thus, medical radiation has become a social issue. This paper is a brief report on the status of medical exposure in Korea by way of consulting from the radiation-related medical societies in Korea.