• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

A whole body counter (WBC) is used in nuclear power plants (NPP) to identify and measure internal radioactivity of workers who is likely to ingest or inhale radionuclides. WBC has several counting geometry, i.e. the thyroid, lung, whole body and gastrointestinal tract, considered with the location where radionuclides are deposited in the body. But only whole body geometry is used to detect internal radioactivity during whole body counting at NPPs. It is overestimated internal exposure dose because this measured values are indicated as the most conservative radioactivity values among the them of others geometry. In this study, experiments to measure radioactivity depending on the counting geometry of WBC were carried out using a WBC, a phantom, and standard radiation sources in order to improve overestimated internal exposure dose. Quantitative criteria, could be selected counting geometry according to ratio of count rates of the upper and lower detectors of the WBC, are provided through statistical analysis method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.565-573
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• 2018

Cyclotron for medical purposes generates nuclear reaction by accelerating protons in high speed, in order to produce radiopharmaceuticals, and unnecessary neutrons are generated through such nuclear reaction. Neutrons cause activation in the parts of cyclotron which then cause exposure to radiation for people working in the field. This study, in that regard, aims to analyze exposure level by finding out the degree of activation of aluminum body, silver body, and havar foil which are the parts of Targetry where the nuclear reaction takes place. The results of the experiment showed that aluminum body and silver body had no problems re-using them as the energy and half-life of activated nuclides were small and short, making the affect on the people working in the field extremely low. However for havar foil, its activated nuclides had a high level of energy which resulted in high level of affect to the people working in the field. The activation factors of the cyclotron were analyzed, and the results showed that the Havar foil was activated the most among the targetry parts, and greatly exposed workers due to regular replacement, and needed special management as radioactive waste.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2016

Background: Definition and grouping of initiating events (IEs) are important basics for probabilistic safety assessment (PSA). An IE in a spent fuel reprocessing plant (SFRP) is an event that probably leads to the release of dangerous material to jeopardize workers, public and environment. The main difference between SFRPs and nuclear power plants (NPPs) is that hazard materials spread diffusely in a SFRP and radioactive material is just one kind of hazard material. Materials and Methods: Since the research on IEs for NPPs is in-depth around the world, there are several general methods to identify IEs: reference of lists in existence, review of experience feedback, qualitative analysis method, and deductive analysis method. While failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is an important qualitative analysis method, master logic diagram (MLD) method is the deductive analysis method. IE identification in SFRPs should be consulted with the experience of NPPs, however the differences between SFRPs and NPPs should be considered seriously. Results and Discussion: The plutonium uranium reduction extraction (Purex) process is adopted by the technics in a model reprocessing plant. The first extraction cycle (FEC) is the pivotal process in the Purex process. Whether the FEC can function safely and steadily would directly influence the production process of the whole plant-production quality. Important facilities of the FEC are installed in the equipment cells (ECs). In this work, IEs in the FEC process were identified and categorized by FMEA and MLD two methods, based on the fact that ECs are containments in the plant. Conclusion: The results show that only two ECs in the FEC do not need to be concerned particularly with safety problems, and criticality, fire and red oil explosion are IEs which should be emphatically analyzed. The results are accordant with the references.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2017

In the case of nuclear medicine practitioners in medical institutions, a wide range of exposure dose to individual workers can be found, depending on the type of source, the amount of radioactivity, and the use of shielding devices in handling radioactive isotopes. In this regard, this study evaluated the organ dose on practitioners as well as the dose reduction effect of the L-block shielding device in handling the diagnostic radiation source through the simulation based on the Monte Carlo method. As a result, the distribution of organ dose was found to be higher as the position of the radiation source was closer to the handling position of a practitioner, and the effective dose distribution was different according to the ICRP tissue weight. Furthermore, the dose reduction effect according to the L-block thickness tended to decrease, which showed the exponential distribution, as the shielding thickness increased. The dose reduction effect according to each radiation source showed a low shielding effect in proportion to the emitted gamma ray energy level.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2014

After the expiration of operating license of a plant, all infrastructures within the plant must be safely dismantled to the point that it no longer requires measures for radiation protection. Despite the fact that Kori 1 and Wolsong 1 are close to the expiration of their operating license, sufficient technologies for radiological characterization, decontamination and dismantling is still under development. The purpose of this study is to develop one of methods for radiological inventory assessment on measuring object by using direct measure of large component with In-Situ measurement technique. Radiological inventory was assessed by analyzing nuclide using portable gamma spectroscopy without dismantling reactor head, and the result of direct measurement was supplemented by performing indirect measurement. Radiochemical analysis were performed on surface contamination samples as well. During the study, radiological inventory of reactor vessel calculated expanding the result. Based on the result and the radioactivity variation of each radionuclides time frame for decommissioning can be decided. Thus, it is expected that during the decommissioning of plants, the result of this study will contribute to the reduction of radiation exposure to workers.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 1970

Radiation accidents which occured in the A.E.R.I. during last ten years are described (table 1). It seemed to the authors that some of these accidents were considered to be hazardous to man body and associated installations. This report deals with the following four major accidents involving body contamination incidents that our health physicists have been experienced. 1. Over-exposures (up to 130 rem) to the total body due to the mismanipulation in the Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation facility. 2. Floor surface contamination (up to 13 mrad/hr) and its spread out due to the mishandling of radioiodine contained in the bottle. 3. Body surface contamination and 0.36 uCi radioactivity accumulated in the thyroid gland of a worker due to the inhalation of gaseous iodine-131. 4. A void capsule due to the leakage out of the radium therapeutic source (3mg\ulcorner) These accidents were treated by definitely prompt action to protect the workers and associated installations from any radiation hazards and every possible efforts were made to confine the spread of radioactive contamination as small area as possible by means of elaborate decontamination work and monitoring.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.221-227
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• 2010

The solidification methods for powder wastes dried at CWDS(Concentrate Waste Drying System) in PWR have been studied in a variety of ways both at home and abroad. The solidification for these wastes has been performed using stabilization agents such as cement, paraffin and polymer. The applicability studies to maximize the reduction ratio of wastes and operational effectiveness for wastes treatment have been carried out, recently. It is necessary to pretreat the powder wastes before feeding wastes to vitrification facility because the fines flying brings about clogging of feeding pipes and off-gas treatment system or workers' exposure to radiation during maintenance. This paper describes an effective method for treatment of powder wastes to improve safety and stability of vitrification facilities.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.95-106
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• 2019

The decommissioning of nuclear power plants should be prepared by quantitative and qualitative risk assessment. Radiological and non-radiological hazards arising during decommissioning activities must be assessed to ensure the safety of decommissioning workers and the public. Decommissioning experiences by U.S. operators have mainly focused on deterministic risk assessment, which is standardized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission (NRC) and focuses only on the consequences of risk. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has suggested an alternative to the deterministic approach, called the risk matrix technique. The risk matrix technique considers both the consequence and likelihood of risk. In this study, decommissioning stages, processes, and activities are organized under a work breakdown structure. Potential accidents in the decommissioning process of NPPs are analyzed using the composite risk matrix to assess both radiological and non-radiological hazards. The levels of risk for all potential accidents considered by U.S. NPP operators who have performed decommissioning were estimated based on their consequences and likelihood of events.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.79-83
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• 2018

Purpose $^{18}F-FDG$, which is commonly used in PET-CT examinations, is low in capacity and it is difficult to keep the amount of radioactivity busy when the specific activity is high, increasing the amount of space dose and radioactive contamination in the distribution room. Therefore, while evaluating the actual dose administered to patients during the manual dispense process, the medical institution intends to assess the usefulness of the auto dispenser by comparing the differences from the actual dose administered to the patient using the new automatic dispense. Materials and Methods From July 2016 to December 2016, 846 patients were manually administered by workers using $^{18}F-FDG$ and $^{18}F-FDG$ 906 patients were using auto dispenser from July 2017 to December 2017. Results Capacity administered to patients during the manual dispense averaged $35.41{\pm}27.79%$ compared to the recommended dose, and the auto dispenser process showed a small difference of $-2.15{\pm}3.99%$ compared to the recommended dose(p<0.05). Conclusion Working people did not have to touch radioactive medicines directly while they were busy in the auto dispenser, and because of the availability of other tasks far away, the time and distance to receive the exposure were also advantageous. It is believed that future use by many medical institutions will not only reduce the dose to patients but also help reduce the exposure dose to workers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.377-381
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• 2013

The study attempted to analyze items presented in Act on safety control of radioactive rays around living environment, which has been recently enacted. The test items have been divided into cosmic rays, cosmic rays, terrestrial radiation, and byproduct, etc., and the selected locations for measurement included an airplane at 8000m in the air, mountainous area at 1000m above sea level, 15m-underground building, construction site, and seashore at 0m altitude. The test showed that, based on cosmic rays, plane at 8000m in the air had 4.91mSv/y of effective dose per year. The mountainous area at 1000m above sea level, which was chosen to measure cosmic rays and terrestrial radiation, was measured 0.35mSv higher than the seashore at 0m in altitude due to the effect of cosmic rays and terrestrial radiation from the greater height above sea level. The construction site, chosen as a location to measure byproduct, showed the highest value among the items with 6.66mSv, which is as 10times high as that of a completed building. The seashore at 0m in altitude had 5.96mSv, and, 15m-underground building, based on terrestrial radiation, was the lowest with 4.91mSv. This suggests that, despite the assumption that terrestrial radiation will have greater effect deeper underground, it did not affect inside the building significantly. This study showed that the items presented in Act on safety control of radioactive rays around living environment were not close to effective dose limit for radiation workers proposed by ICRP. However, they were between 4 and 7 times higher than that for general public. This suggests that there should be continuous research on and attention to Safe Management of Daily Surrounding Radiation Act, which is still at its beginning stage.