• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.195-206
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• 2020

Although the national radiological emergency response system has been improved by incorporating lessons from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident and recent domestic natural disasters, it has not fully incorporated these lessons. In addition, it cannot deal with a variety of aftermath of the radiological disaster. Even for the same disaster, the national emergency response system should comply with multiple domestic laws in our country. Furthermore, there are a few discrepancies between the articles of the domestic laws that the national radiological emergency response system should address. Therefore, this study investigates the characteristics of radiological disasters, examines articles on the domestic laws related to the national radiological emergency response system, and analyses the Japanese government's responses to the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Based on the results of the review, suggestions for the improvement of the national radiological emergency response system in terms of response organization and framework have been proposed in this study.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.91-104
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• 2024

Safe radiation management is essential not only for operational nuclear power plants but also for nuclear plants to be decommissioned. When spent nuclear fuel is present on-site, meticulous radiation emergency plans are necessary to ensure safety. In Korea, numerous radiation emergency plans have been established for operational nuclear reactors. These plans delineate distinct response mitigation measures for white, blue, and red emergencies. However, clear regulations are yet to be devised for radiation emergency plans for reactors to be decommission. Therefore, this study investigated the decommissioning plan and status of Kori unit 1 to comprehensively analyze the current status of decommissioning safety in Korea. In this study, radiation emergency plans of decommissioning nuclear power plants abroad were reviewed to confirm radiation emergency action levels. Furthermore, radioactive waste treatment facilities, to be used for decommissioning reactors in Korea were evaluated. Moreover, the study assessed emergency plans (especially, emergency initiating conditions) for operational nuclear power plants in Korea for potential use in the decommissioning phase. This study proposed an emergency initiating condition that can be used for decommissioning reactors in Korea. Considering the anticipated introduction of plasma torch melting facility in Korea, this study examined the conditions of radiation emergency plans can be altered. This study identified effective measures and guidelines for managing radiological emergency initiating conditions, and effective decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Korea.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.301-309
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• 2016

Background: A contamination screening process for the local population in radiation emergencies is discussed. Materials and Methods: We present an overview of the relevant Korean governmental regulations that underpin the development of an effective response system. Moreover, case studies of foreign countries responding to mass casualties are presented, and indicate that responses should be able to handle a large demand for contamination screening of the local public as well as screening of the immediate victims of the incident. Results and Discussion: We propose operating procedures for an off-site contamination screening post operated by the local government for members of the public who have not been directly harmed in the accident. In order to devise screening categories, sorting strategies assessing contamination and exposure are discussed, as well as a psychological response system. Conclusion: This study will lead to the effective operation of contamination screening clinics if an accident occurs. Furthermore, the role of contamination screening clinics in the overall context of the radiation emergency treatment system should be clearly established.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.123-131
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• 2024

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry for a tooth from an individual exposed is well known as retrospective dosimetry in radiological accidents. A major constraint of the conventional X-band tooth-EPR dosimetry is the necessity to extract the tooth of the exposed patient for dose assessment. In this study, to conduct the dose assessments of exposed patients through part-extraction of tooth enamel, the minimum detectable dose (MDD) of the tooth enamel was evaluated based on the amount of mass. Further, a field test was conducted via intercomparison using various dose assessment methods to verify the feasibility of X-band tooth-EPR dosimetry using the minimum mass of tooth enamel. The intercomparison results demonstrated that effective dose determination via X-band tooth-EPR dosimetry is reliable. Consequently, it was determined that the minimum mass of tooth enamel required to evaluate an absorbed dose above 0.5 Gy is 15 mg. Thus, EPR dosimetry using 15 mg of tooth enamel can be applied in the triage and initial medical response stages for patients exposed during radiological accidents. This approach represents an advancement in managing radiological accidents by offering a more efficient and less invasive method of dose assessment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.270-277
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• 2023

Exposure to ionizing radiation induces free radicals in human nails. These free radicals generate a radiation-induced signal (RIS) in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Compared with the RIS of tooth enamel samples, that in human nails is more affected by moisture and heat, but has the advantages of being sensitive to radiation and easy to collect. The fingernail as a biological sample is applicable in retrospective dosimetry in cases of localized hand exposure accidents. In this study, the dosimetric characteristics of fingernails were analyzed in fingernail clippings collected from Korean donors. The dose response, fading of radiation-induced and mechanically induced signals, treatment method for evaluation of background signal, minimum detectable dose, and minimum detectable mass were investigated to propose a fingernail-EPR dosimetry protocol. In addition, to validate the practicality of the protocol, blind and field experiments were performed in the laboratory and a non-destructive testing facility. The relative biases in the dose assessment result of the blind and field experiments were 8.43% and 21.68% on average between the reference and reconstructed doses. The results of this study suggest that fingernail-EPR dosimetry can be a useful method for the application of retrospective dosimetry in cases of radiological accidents.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6161-6164
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• 2014

Background: We have reported the radiation could activate STAT3, which subsequently promotes the invasion of A549 cells. We here explored the dose- and time-response of STAT3 to radiation and the effect of radiation on upstream signaling molecules. Materials and Methods: A549 cells were irradiated with different doses of ${\gamma}$-rays. The expression of and nucleus translocation of p-STAT3 in A549 cells were detected by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, respectively. The level of phosphorylated EGFR was also assessed by immunoblotting, and IL-6 expression was detected by real time PCR and ELISA. Results: Radiation promoted the phosphorylation of STAT3 at Y705 in a dose- and time-dependent manner and nuclear translocation. The level of phosphorylated EGFR in A549 cells increased after radiation. In additional, the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 in A549 cells were also up regulated by radiation. Conclusions: STAT3 is activated by radiation in a dose-and time-dependent manner, probably due to radiation-induced activation of EGFR or secretion of IL-6 in A549 cells.

• 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.42 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2017

Background: Different cases exist in the measurement of thyroid radiobioassays owing to the individual characteristics of the subjects, especially the potential variation in the counting efficiency. An In situ Object Counting System (ISOCS) was developed to perform an efficiency calibration based on the Monte Carlo calculation, as an alternative to conventional calibration methods. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the applicability of ISOCS to thyroid radiobioassays by comparison with a conventional thyroid monitoring system. Materials and Methods: The efficiency calibration of a portable high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector was performed using ISOCS software. In contrast, the conventional efficiency calibration, which needed a radioactive material, was applied to a scintillator-based thyroid monitor. Four radioiodine samples that contained $^{125}I$ and $^{131}I$ in both aqueous solution and gel forms were measured to evaluate radioactivity in the thyroid. ANSI/HPS N13.30 performance criteria, which included the relative bias, relative precision, and root-mean-squared error, were applied to evaluate the performance of the measurement system. Results and Discussion: The portable HPGe detector could measure both radioiodines with ISOCS but the thyroid monitor could not measure $^{125}I$ because of the limited energy resolution of the NaI(Tl) scintillator. The $^{131}I$ results from both detectors agreed to within 5% with the certified results. Moreover, the $^{125}I$ results from the portable HPGe detector agreed to within 10% with the certified results. All measurement results complied with the ANSI/HPS N13.30 performance criteria. Conclusion: The results of the intercomparison program indicated the feasibility of applying ISOCS software to direct thyroid radiobioassays. The portable HPGe detector with ISOCS software can provide the convenience of efficiency calibration and higher energy resolution for identifying photopeaks, compared with a conventional thyroid monitor with a NaI(Tl) scintillator. The application of ISOCS software in a radiation emergency can improve the response in terms of internal contamination monitoring.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.4576-4582
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• 2023

The Korea retrospective dosimetry (KREDOS)-electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) group undertook an intercomparison investigation utilizing hydroxyapatite. This analysis involved four institutions: the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Korean Association for Radiation Application, and Radiation Health Institute of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. Following the irradiation of the hydroxyapatite sample, the recorded build-up was analyzed. To validate the reliability of the EPR dosimetry findings and enhance its operational performance, a hydroxyapatite dose-response curve was plotted and dosimetry was performed for a blind sample. The proficiency of each laboratory was assessed by employing an interlaboratory comparison methodology. This involved a comparative analysis of the measurement results by calculating the relative bias, z-score, and En value. The results submitted by the participating laboratories demonstrated satisfactory ratings for doses of 1.006, 3.999, and 6.993 Gy. Following the second intercomparison, efforts to optimize their hydroxyapatite-EPR dosimetry systems are underway in the participating laboratories. The current assessment of hydroxyapatite dose yielded the foundational data required to establish the parameters of dental dosimetry. In future, the third intercomparison experiment will be conducted for exploring other materials.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 1988

The necessity of developing a rapid dose assessment system has been emphasized for an effective emergency response of mitigation of off-site radiological consequences. A microcomputer program based on a rapid dose assessment model of the off-site radiological consequences is developed for various accdident sinarios for the Nuclear Power Plants in Korea. This model, which is consists of the user answering-question input format as a menu driven method and the output format of table and graphic types, is helpful to decision-making on Emergency Preparedness by being more rapidly able to implement the off-site dose assessment and to interpret the result.