• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2016

Background: It is very difficult to set a regulatory guidance or criteria for the protection of non-human species from the ionizing radiation, because there are no generally or internationally accepted methods for demonstrating the compliance with such criteria. It is needed that Korea develop the primary dose rate standards for the protection of both aquatic and terrestrial biota in the near future. Materials and Methods: The potential dose rates due to both external and internal radiation exposures to marine organisms such as plaice/flounder, gray mullet, and brown seaweed collected within territorial seas around the Korean Peninsula were estimated. Results and Discussion: The total dose rates to plaice/flounder, gray mullet and brown seaweed due to $^{40}K$, a primordial radionuclide in marine environment, were found to be 0.2%, 0.08% and 0.3% of approximately the values of the Derived Consideration Reference Levels (DCRLs, i.e. $1-10mGy{\cdot}d^{-1}$), respectively, as suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) publication 124. The total dose rates to marine fishes and brown seaweed due to anthropogenic radionuclides such as $^{90}Sr$, $^{137}Cs$ and $^{239+240}Pu$ were considered to be negligible compared to the total dose rate due to $^{40}K$. The external exposure to benthic fish due to all radionuclides was much higher than that of pelagic fish. Conclusion: From this study, it is recommended that the further study is required to develop a national regulatory guidance for the evaluation of doses to non-human species.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.160-169
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• 2018

Background: This study aims to develop an integrated optical system that can simultaneously or selectively measure the signals obtained from radioluminescence (RL), thermoluminescence (TL), and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which are luminescence phenomena of materials stimulated by radioactivity, heat, and light, respectively. The luminescence mechanism of various materials could be investigated using the glow curves of the luminescence materials. Materials and Methods: RL/TL/OSL integrated measuring system was equipped with a X-ray tube (50 kV, $200{\mu}A$) as an ionizing radiation source to irradiate the sample. The sample substrate was used as a heating source and was also designed to optically stimulate the sample material using various light sources, such as high luminous blue light emitting diode (LED) or laser. The system measured the luminescence intensity versus the amount of irradiation/stimulation on the sample for the purpose of measuring RL, TL and OSL sequentially or by selectively combining them. Optical filters were combined to minimize the interference of the stimulation light in the OSL signal. A long-pass filter (420 nm) was used for 470 nm LED, an ultraviolet-pass filter (260-390 nm) was used for detecting the luminescence of the sample by PM tube. Results and Discussion: The reliability of the system was evaluated using the RL/OSL characteristics of $Al_2O_3:C$ and the RL/TL characteristics of LiF:Mg,Cu,Si, which were used as dosimetry materials. The RL/OSL characteristics of $Al_2O_3:C$ showed relatively linear dose-response characteristics. The glow curve of LiF:Mg,Cu,Si also showed typical RL/OSL characteristics. Conclusion: The reliability of the proposed system was verified by sequentially measuring the RL characteristics of radiation as well as the TL and OSL characteristics by concurrent thermal and optical stimulations. In this study, we developed an integrated measurement system that measures the glow curves of RL/TL/OSL using universal USB-DAQs and the control program.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.333-338
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• 2016

Background: In case of radiation emergencies, internal exposure monitoring for the members of public will be required to confirm internal contamination of each individual. In-vivo monitoring technique using portable gamma spectrometer can be easily applied for internal exposure monitoring in the vicinity of the on-site area. Materials and Methods: In this study, minimum detectable doses (MDDs) for $^{134}Cs$, $^{137}Cs$, and $^{131}I$ were calculated adjusting minimum detectable activities (MDAs) from 50 to 1,000 Bq to find out the optimal in-vivo counting condition. DCAL software was used to derive retention fraction of Cs and I isotopes in the whole body and thyroid, respectively. A minimum detect-able level was determined to set committed effective dose of 0.1 mSv for emergency response. Results and Discussion: We found that MDDs at each MDA increased along with the elapsed time. 1,000 Bq for $^{134}Cs$ and $^{137}Cs$, and 100 Bq for $^{131}I$ were suggested as optimal MDAs to provide in-vivo monitoring service in case of radiation emergencies. Conclusion: In-vivo monitoring program for emergency response should be designed to achieve the optimal MDA suggested from the present work. We expect that a reduction of counting time compared with routine monitoring program can achieve the high throughput system in case of radiation emergencies.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.131-136
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• 2018

Background: We investigated the current characteristics of a thin-film Ag electrode on a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond. The CVD diamond is widely recognized as a radiation detection material because of its high tolerance against high radiation, stable response to various dose rates, and good sensitivity. Additionally, thin-film Ag has been widely used as an electrode with high electrical conductivity. Materials and Methods: Considering these properties, the thin-film Ag electrode was deposited onto CVD diamonds with varied deposition thicknesses (${\fallingdotseq}50/98/152/257nm$); subsequently, the surface thickness, surface roughness, leakage current, and photo-current were characterized. Results and Discussion: The leakage current was found to be very low, and the photo-current output signal was observed as stable for a deposited film thickness of 98 nm; at this thickness, a uniform and constant surface roughness of the deposited thin-film Ag electrode were obtained. Conclusion: We found that a CVD diamond radiation detector with a thin-film Ag electrode deposition thickness close to 100 nm exhibited minimal leakage current and yielded a highly stable output signal.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.179-184
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• 2013

Purpose: X-ray exposure should be clinically justified and each exposure should be expected to give patients benefits. Since dental radiographic examination is one of the most frequent radiological procedures, radiation hazard becomes an important public health concern. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of Korean dentists about radiation safety and use of criteria for selecting the frequency and type of radiographic examinations. Materials and Methods: The study included 267 Korean dentists. Five questions related to radiation safety were asked of each of them. These questions were about factors associated with radiation protection of patients and operators including the use of radiographic selection criteria for intraoral radiographic procedures. Results: The frequency of prescription of routine radiographic examination (an example is a panoramic radiograph for screening process for occult disease) was 34.1%, while that of selective radiography was 64.0%. Dentists' discussion of radiation risk and benefit with patients was infrequent. More than half of the operators held the image receptor by themselves during intraoral radiographic examinations. Lead apron/thyroid collars for patient protection were used by fewer than 22% of dental offices. Rectangular collimation was utilized by fewer than 15% of dental offices. Conclusion: The majority of Korean dentists in the study did not practice radiation protection procedures which would be required to minimize exposure to unnecessary radiation for patients and dental professionals. Mandatory continuing professional education in radiation safety and development of Korean radiographic selection criteria is recommended.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.68-77
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• 2024

Background: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is essential for correcting and verifying patient position before radiation therapy. However, it poses additional radiation exposure during CBCT scans. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate radiological safety for the human body through dose assessment for CBCT. Materials and Methods: For CBCT dose assessment, the depth dose was evaluated using a cheese phantom, and the dose in the orbital area was evaluated using a human body phantom self-fabricated with a three-dimensional printer. Results and Discussion: The evaluation of radiation doses revealed maximum doses of 14.14 mGy and minimum doses of 6.12 mGy for pelvic imaging conditions. For chest imaging conditions, the maximum doses were 4.82 mGy, and the minimum doses were 2.35 mGy. Head imaging conditions showed maximum doses of 1.46 mGy and minimum doses of 0.39 mGy. The eyeball doses using a human body phantom model averaged at 2.11 mGy on the left and 2.19 mGy on the right. The depth dose ranged between 0.39 mGy and 14.14 mGy, depending on the change in depth for each imaging mode, and the average dose in the orbit area using a human body phantom was 2.15 mGy. Conclusion: Based on the experimental results, CBCT did not significantly affect the radiation dose. However, it is important to maintain a minimal radiation dose to optimize radiation protection following the as low as reasonable achievable principle.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study is to assign an appropriate density to virtual phantom for 2D diode array detector with different dose calculation algorithms to guarantee the accuracy of patient-specific QA. Materials and Methods: Ten VMAT plans with 6 MV photon beam and ten VMAT plans with 15 MV photon beam were selected retrospectively. The computed tomography (CT) images of MapCHECK2 with MapPHAN were acquired to design the virtual phantom images. For all plans, dose distributions were calculated for the virtual phantoms with four different materials by AAA and AXB algorithms. The four materials were polystyrene, 455 HU, Jursinic phantom, and PVC. Passing rates for several gamma criteria were calculated by comparing the measured dose distribution with calculated dose distributions of four materials. Results and Discussion: For validation of AXB modeling in clinic, the mean percentages of agreement in the cases of dose difference criteria of 1.0% and 2.0% for 6 MV were $97.2%{\pm}2.3%$, and $99.4%{\pm}1.1%$, respectively while those for 15 MV were $98.5%{\pm}0.85%$ and $99.8%{\pm}0.2%$, respectively. In the case of 2%/2 mm, all mean passing rates were more than 96.0% and 97.2% for 6 MV and 15 MV, respectively, regardless of the virtual phantoms of different materials and dose calculation algorithms. The passing rates in all criteria slightly increased for AXB as well as AAA when using 455 HU rather than polystyrene. Conclusion: The virtual phantom which had a 455 HU values showed high passing rates for all gamma criteria. To guarantee the accuracy of patent-specific VMAT QA, each institution should fine-tune the mass density or HU values of this device.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.49 no.1
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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.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2020

Background: To investigate radiological effects on biota, it is necessary to assess radiation dose for flora and fauna living in a terrestrial ecosystem. This paper presents a dynamic model to assess radioactivity concentration and radiation dose of terrestrial flora and fauna after a nuclear accident. Materials and Methods: Litter, organic soil, mineral soil, trees, wild crops, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores are considered the major components of a terrestrial ecosystem. The model considers the physicochemical and biological processes of interception, weathering, decomposition of litter, percolation, root uptake, leaching, radioactive decay, and biological loss of animals. The predictive capability of the model was investigated by comparison of its predictions with field data for biota measured in the Fukushima forest area after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Results and Discussion: The predicted radioactive cesium inventories for trees agreed well with those for evergreens and deciduous trees sampled in the Fukushima area. The predicted temporal radioactivity concentrations for animals were within the range of the measured radioactivity concentrations of deer, wild boars, and black bears. The radiation dose for the animals were, for the whole simulation time, estimated to be much smaller than the lower limit (0.1 mGy·d^-1) of the derived consideration reference level given by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for terrestrial flora and fauna. This suggested that the radiation effect of the accident on the biota in the Fukushima forest would be insignificant. Conclusion: The present dynamic model can be used effectively to investigate the radiological risk to terrestrial ecosystems following a nuclear accident.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2019

Background: The main goal of experiments is to compare various operational and technical characteristics of D-Shuttle semiconductor personal dosimeters of the Japanese company "Chiyoda Technol Corporation" and Harshaw thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) manufactured by "Thermo Fisher Scientific" and DTL-02 of the Russian Research and Production Enterprise (RPE) "Doza" by their occupational and calibration exposure at various dose equivalents from 0.5 to 20 mSv of gamma-radiation. Materials and Methods: Besides dosimeters DTL-02, D-Shuttle and Harshaw TLD, there were also used: (1) the primary reference radionuclide source Hopewell Designs IAEA: G10-1-12 with $^{137}Cs$ isotope (an error is not more than 6% and activity is 20 Ci), and (2) the verification device UPGD-2M of RPE "Doza" and installed in the National Center for Expertise and Certification of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kapchagai, the National Center for Expertise and Certification). Results and Discussion: The main results of researches are the following: (1) TLDs for Harshaw 6600 and DVG-02TM have an approximately equal measurement accuracy of the individual dose equivalents in the range from 0.5 to 20 mSv of gamma-radiation. (2) Advantages of dosimeters for Harshaw 6600 are due to the high measurement productivity and opportunity to indicate the dose on the skin $H_p$(0.07). Advantages of DVG-02TM consist of operation simplicity and lower cost than of Harshaw 6600. (3) D-Shuttles are convenient for use in the current and the operational monitoring of ionizing radiation. Measurement accuracy and 10% linearity of measurements are ensured when D-Shuttle is irradiated with dose equivalents below 1 mSv at the equivalent dose rate not higher than $3mSv{\cdot}hr^{-1}$. This allows using D-Shuttle at a routine technological activity. Conclusion: The obtained results of experiments demonstrate advantages and disadvantages of D-Shuttle semiconductor dosimeters in comparison with two TLD systems of DVG-02TM and Harshaw 6600.