• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.479-485
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• 2018

Radiologic technologists working at the second and third medical institutions are classified as radiation-related workers and radiation workers according to their working departments, and are subject to double regulation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Nuclear Safety Commission. We will try to understand the system of dualization and to understand the investigation of recognition. The dualized system of radiation-related workers and radiation workers includes the difference in name and terminology, the effective dose limit, the maintenance education and training of radiologic technologists, the period of medical examination, the radiation zone, dose of the woman whose pregnancy is confirmed in radiologic technologists, the qualification criteria of the safety officer, and the period of the regular inspection of the radiological equipment. In the questionnaire survey on the dualization system, there were various items showing significant differences between the radiation-related workers and radiation workers Overall, the radiation workers were more aware of the radiation workers' education and related terms than the radiation-related workers.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 2021

Background: Radiation exposure can occur as a result of occupational activities utilizing sources of radiation. The average level of occupational exposure is generally similar to the global average, but some workers receive more than this. In this study, the occupational exposure data for workers in Korea to check the recent trend of radiation exposure. Materials and Methods: The data collection and analysis are carried out by two separate periods based on the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) survey. One is the year 2003 to 2014 for a recent survey, and the other is 2015 to 2019. All available data were collected by annual reports from radiation dose registry organizations. Results and Discussion: The annual dose over the record level to the total workers did not change much compared with the total increasing number of workers in this period. The dose to the nuclear fuel cycle field has a tendency to decrease. It resulted from the efforts of radiation dose reduction with high technology introduced to this area. Also, it is important result that the radiation dose to the workers in radiography is remarkably reduced. Conclusion: The number of radiation workers and average doses were analyzed for occupational categories in Korea. It still needs cooperative efforts between the dose registry organizations for the efficient dose management of Korean radiation workers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.581-587
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• 2023

In this study, we tried to provide basic data for radiation safety management by comparing and analyzing the exposure doses of radiation workers and frequent workers at C University Hospital in Incheon. From January 2021 to December 2022, surface dose and deep dose were analyzed for 30 radiation workers and 8 frequent workers who worked at C university hospital in Incheon. Radiation workers were targeted at radiation technicians and nurses working in the radiation oncology department and nuclear medicine department, and frequent visitors were targeted at frequent workers who manage and clean facilities in the same radiation management area. In the radiation worker group, 3.1 per 10,000 radiation technologist, 1.2 per 100,000 nurses, and 4.5 per 1,000,000 frequent workers showed the possibility of developing side effects on the lungs. The probability of radiation oncology was 1.1 per 10,000 for radiation technologist and 5.2 per 1,000,000 for nurses, and the probability of radiation technologist in nuclear medicine was 2.9 per 10,000 and for nurses was 7.1 per 1,000,000. It is hoped that this study can be used as basic data in future revisions on frequent workers, and it is considered that it will be used as basic data in the field of obstacles in relation to the stochastic effect of radiation in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.327-334
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• 2022

In this study, the purpose of this study was to conduct a basic study on the effectiveness and feasibility of the regulation of the Nuclear Safety Act for the department of radiology by examining the questionnaire on the satisfaction of on-campus practice while attending the department of radiology and the current status of radiation workers and radiation related workers. As for the satisfaction of the workers who were designated as frequent visitors while attending the department of radiology and did not handle and operate the radiation generator during on-campus training, 34.62% of the workers answered 'not satisfied'. On the other hand, 50% of workers who were designated as radiation workers while attending school or who were enrolled in school before the regulation of the nuclear safety act and handled and operated radiation generators were 'satisfied' at 50%. In addition, the annual exposure dose of radiation workers in educational institutions was found to be less than 0.05 mSv. If you look at the trends of radiation workers and radiation workers, it can be seen that students who graduate from the Department of Radiology find the most employment in the field dealing with diagnostic radiation generators registered as radiation workers among medical institutions. Therefore, by easing the regulations of the current Nuclear Safety Act or by amending the medical act and the rules on the safety management of diagnostic radiation generating devices, etc. It is presumed that something is necessary.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.162-166
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• 2023

Background: Assessment of the radiation doses to which workers are exposed can differ depending on the placement of dosimeters on the body. In addition, it is affected by whether the placement is under or over a shielding apron. This study aimed to evaluate the actual positioning of personal dosimeters on the body, with or without shielding aprons, among radiation workers in Korea. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the survey data, which included demographic characteristics, such as sex, age, occupation, work history, and placement of the personal dosimeter being worn, from a cohort study of Korean radiation workers. We assessed the use of personal dosimeters among workers, stratified by sex, age, working period, starting year of work, and occupation. Results and Discussion: Overall, high compliance (89.1% to 99.0%) with the wearing of dosimeters on the chest was observed regardless of workers' characteristics, such as age, sex, occupation, and work history. However, the placement of dosimeters, either under or over the shielding aprons, was inconsistent. Overall, 40.1% of workers wore dosimeters under their aprons, while the others wore dosimeters over their aprons. This inconsistency indicates that radiation doses are possibly measured differently under the same exposure conditions solely owing to variations in the placement of worn dosimeters. Conclusion: Although a lack of uniformity in dosimeter placement when wearing a shielding apron may not cause serious harm in radiation dose management for workers, the development of detailed guidelines for dosimeter placement may improve the accuracy of dose assessment.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2023

To effectively and safely manage the radiation exposure to nuclear power plant (NPP) workers in accidents, major overseas NPP operators such as the United States, Germany, and France have developed and applied realistic 3D model radiation dose assessment software for workers. Continuous research and development have recently been conducted, such as performing NPP accident management using 3D-VR based on As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) planning tool. In line with this global trend, it is also required to secure technology to manage radiation exposure of workers in Korea efficiently. Therefore, in this paper, it is described the application method and assessment results of radiation exposure scenarios for workers in response to accidents assessment technology, which is one of the fundamental technologies for constructing a realistic platform to be utilized for radiation exposure prediction, diagnosis, management, and training simulations following accidents. First, the post-accident sampling after the Loss of Coolant Accident(LOCA) was selected as the accident and response scenario, and the assessment area related to this work was established. Subsequently, the structures within the assessment area were modeled using MCNP, and the radiation source of the equipment was inputted. Based on this, the radiation dose distribution in the assessment area was assessed. Afterward, considering the three principles of external radiation protection (time, distance, and shielding) detailed work scenarios were developed by varying the number of workers, the presence or absence of a shield, and the location of the shield. The radiation exposure doses received by workers were compared and analyzed for each scenario, and based on the results, the optimal accident response scenario was derived. The results of this study plan to be utilized as a fundamental technology to ensure the safety of workers through simulations targeting various reactor types and accident response scenarios in the future. Furthermore, it is expected to secure the possibility of developing a data-based ALARA decision support system for predicting radiation exposure dose at NPP sites.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2009

Biomarkers indicating past exposure to radiation have not yet been entirely satisfactory. In this study, we validated several genes reported as radiation response genes, as biomarkers to detect past exposure to radiation in occupationally exposed workers, especially workers in the medical field. A total of 54 radiation workers in hospital were investigated for radiation exposure dose. Their average radiation dose of recent one year was 1.09 mSv ($\pm$1.63) with a 10.63 mSv ($\pm$12.91) cumulative dose. The results of the multiple regression analysis for the various variables indicate that the Hsc70 (P=0.0292) and ORAL (P=0.0045) may be candidate biomarkers for the recent 1 year radiation exposure in radiation workers, whereas AEN (P=0.0334) and PGAMI (P=0.0003) might be for cumulative exposure.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2022

Nuclear power plant decommissioning generates significant concrete waste, which is slightly contaminated, and expected to be classified as clearance concrete waste. Clearance concrete waste is generally crushed into rubble at the site or a satellite treatment facility for practical disposal purposes. During the process, workers are exposed to radiation from the nuclides in concrete waste. The treatment processes consist of concrete cutting/crushing, transportation, and loading/unloading. Workers' radiation exposure during the process was systematically studied. A shielding package comprising a cylindrical and hexahedron structure was considered to reduce workers' radiation exposure, and improved the treatment process's efficiency. The shielding package's effect on workers' radiation exposure during the cutting and crushing process was also studied. The calculated annual radiation exposure of concrete treatment workers was below 1 mSv, which is the annual radiation exposure limit for members of the public. It was also found that workers involved in cutting and crushing were exposed the most.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2017

Compared to other occupations, there is a greater risk of exposure to radiation due to the use of radioisotopes in nuclear medicine for diagnostic evaluations and therapy. To consider ways to reduce exposure dose for those in nuclear medicine involved in injection work and elution work among radiation workers as well as for sanitation workers and trainees among frequent workers an investigation into exposure dose and situational analysis from changes in yearly exposure dose evaluations, changes in work environment and changes in forms of inspection were conducted. Exposure dose measurements were taken by using EPD MK2 worn during working hours for one injection worker, one elution worker, two sanitation workers, and one trainee at a general hospital in the Seoul area for three days from July 18th to 20th 2016. Radiation from radioisotopes which are a part of nuclear medicine can significantly affect not only radiation workers who deal with radioisotopes directly but also frequency works as well. According to this study the annual dose limit for elution workers and injection workers were considered safe as the amount of exposure was not large enough to have a significant effect. The limits of this study consist in the duration of this study and the quantity of participants. Also there was a limitation of the measurement device involving accumulated exposure, where the EPD MK2 cannot check the changes in exposure according to a particular activity.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2014

Following the emergency work in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, more attention was paid for the radiation protection of workers working under severe accident condition. The protection procedure for the emergency workers, including the on-site emergency center, the seismic isolated building and the reestablishment of the radiation protection framework were analyzed to investigate drawbacks and deficiencies which led to adverse effects on the emergency planning and on emergency workers' health and comfort. Those drawbacks were identified and studied, and then suggestions were made to enhance the emergency working condition to avoid any future problems during severe accident emergency work and management.