• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.2447-2453
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• 2023

The radioactivity concentrations of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) i.e., ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴K in various chemical fertilizers being used in the agricultural soil of Pakistan were determined utilizing gamma spectrometry by employing a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. The radioactivity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴K extended from 2.58 ± 0.8-265.7 ± 8.8 Bq kg^-1, 1.53 ± 0.14-76.6 ± 1.07 Bq kg^-1 and 36.5 ± 1.34-15606.7 ± 30.2 Bq kg^-1 respectively. The radiological hazard parameters such as internal and external indices and annual effective dose rates were calculated, while excessive lifetime cancer risk factors for the indoor and outdoor areas were found in the range from 0.3×10^-3 to 10.723×10^-3 and 0.03×10^-3 to 2.7948×10^-3 of most fertilizers, however, some values were slightly higher than the UNSCEAR (The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) recommended values for potash-containing fertilizers such as MOP (Muriate of Potash).

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.671-677
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• 2021

Interest in the everyday hazards of radon has recently increased as such, this study attempted to examine the dangers of radon in spilled groundwater by comparing the radon concentrations of the drained groundwater and tap water used in recirculating systems in Incheon Subway restrooms. At five stations of Incheon Subway Line 1 and three stations of Line 2, drained groundwater is recirculated and used in restrooms for toilet flushing. Stations restroom tap water for hand washing that used as a control and the measured values of each were compared. With the cooperation of Incheon Transportation Corporation, samples of spilled groundwater and tap water were collected sealed to prevent contact with the air, and a DURRIDGE RAD7 was used as the experimental equipment. The collected samples were subjected to radial equilibration for approximately 3.5 h, at which the radon concentration reached its maximum, and then calculated as 10 measurements using the RAD7 underwater radon measurement mode. In all eight stations, the radon concentration in tap water was lower than the recommended amount. However, in an average of 7 out of the eight stations, the radon concentration in the effluent groundwater was 100 times higher than that in tap water. Since high radon concentrations in groundwater runoff can be harmful to humans, and there is no accurate standard for radon concentrations in domestic water, it is necessary to continuously monitor radon in water and prepare a guidance of recommended values.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.184-190
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• 2014

Decommissioning process of nuclear facilities consist of a sequence of problem solving activities, because there may exist not only working environments contaminated by radiological exposure but also industrial hazards such as fire, explosions, toxic materials, and electrical and physical hazards. Therefore, not a few countries in the world have been trying to develop appropriate counter techniques in order to guarantee safety and efficiency of the process. In spite of that, there still exists neither domestic nor international standard. Unfortunately, however, there are few workers who experienced decommissioning operations a lot in the past. As a solution, it is quite necessary to utilize experts' opinions for risk assessment in decommissioning process. As for an individual hazard factor, risk assessment techniques are getting known to industrial workers with advance of safety technology, but the way how to integrate those results is not yet. This paper aimed to find out an appropriate technique to integrate individual risk assessment results from the viewpoint of experts. Thus, on one hand the whole risk assessment activity for decommissioning operations was modeled as a sequence of individual risk assessment steps which can be classified into two activities, decontamination and dismantling, and on the other, a risk assessment structure was introduced. The whole model was inferred with Fuzzy theory and techniques, and a numerical example was appended for comprehension.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.1282-1288
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• 2020

In the first study, the Radon emanation and radiological hazards associated with radionuclides in soil samples, collected from 9 various date palm farms located in 3 different districts in Saudi Arabia were determined through a high purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer. The estimated average values of Radon emanation coefficient and Radon mass exhalation rate for soil samples were 0.535 ± 0.016 and 50.063 ± 7.901 mBqkg^-1h^-1, respectively. The annual effective dose of radionuclides in all sampling locations was found to be lower than UNSCEAR's recommended level of 0.07 mSvy^-1 for soil in an outdoor environment. In the secondary study, gross α and gross β activities in soil and date palm pits samples were measured by a low background α/β counting system. Average values of gross α and gross β activities in soil and date palm pits samples were 5.761 ± 0.360 Bqkg^-1, 38.219 ± 8.619 Bqkg^-1 and 0.556 ± 0.142 Bqkg^-1, 24.266 ± 1.711 Bqkg^-1, respectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1757-1762
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• 2023

Radiological hazards from external exposure of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) scales residues, generated during the extraction process of oil and gas production in southern Algeria, are evaluated. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K were measured using high-purity gamma-ray spectrometry (GeHP). Mean activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K, found in scale samples are 4082 ± 41, 1060 ± 38 and 568 ± 36 Bq kg^-1, respectively. Radiological hazard parameters, such as radium equivalent (Ra_eq), external and internal hazard indices (H_ex, H_in), and gamma index (I_γ) are also evaluated. All hazard parameter values were greater than the permissible and recommended limits and the average annual effective dose value exceeded the dose constraint (0.3 mSv y^-1). However, for occasionally exposed workers, the dose rate of 0.65 ± 0.02 mSv y^-1 is lower than recommended limit of 1 mSv y^-1 for public.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1-15
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• 2018

Despite of safety issues related to radiological hazards, 31 countries around the world are operating more than 450 nuclear power plants (NPPs). To operate NPPs safely, safety regulations from radiation protection organizations were developed and adopted in many countries. However, many cases of radionuclide releases at foreign NPPs have been reported. Almost all commercial NPPs routinely release radioactive materials to the surrounding environments as liquid and gas phases under control. These releases are called 'planned releases' which are planned, regularly monitored, and well documented. Meanwhile, the releases focused in this review, called 'unplanned releases', are neither planned nor monitored by regulatory and/or protection organizations. NPPs are generally composed of various structures, systems and components (SSCs) for safety. Among them, the SSCs near reactors are closely related to safety of NPPs, and typically fabricated to comply with stringent requirements. However, some non-safety related SSCs such as underground pipes may be constructed only according to commercial standards, causing the leakage of radioactive fluids usually containing tritium ($^3H$). This paper discusses SSCs of NPPs and introduces several cases of unplanned releases at foreign NPPs. The current regulation on the environmental radiological surveillance and assessment around the NPPs in South Korea are also examined.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.1752-1757
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• 2017

The aim of this study is to evaluate the radioactivity levels and radiological impacts of representative black sand samples collected from different locations in the Rashid area, Egypt. These samples were prepared and then analyzed using the high-resolution gamma ray spectroscopy technique with a high-purity germanium detector. The activity concentration ($A_c$), minimum detectable activity, absorbed gamma dose rate, external hazard index ($H_{ex}$), annual effective dose rate equivalent, radium equivalent, as well as external and internal hazard index ($H_{ex}$ and $H_{in}$, respectively) were estimated based on the measured radionuclide concentration of the $^{238}U$($^{226}Ra$) and $^{232}Th$ decay chains and $^{40}K$. The activity concentrations of the $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$ decay series and $^{40}K$ of these samples varied from $45.11{\pm}3.1Bq/kg$ to $252.38{\pm}34.3Bq/kg$, from $64.65{\pm}6.1Bq/kg$ to $579.84{\pm}53.1Bq/kg$, and from $403.36{\pm}20.8Bq/kg$ to $527.47{\pm}23.1Bq/kg$, respectively. The activity concentration of $^{232}Th$ in Sample 1 has the highest value compared to the other samples; this value is also higher than the worldwide mean range as reported by UNSCEAR 2000. The total absorbed gamma dose rate and the annual effective dose for these samples were found to vary from 81.19 nGy/h to 497.81 nGy/h and from $99.86{\mu}Sv/y$ to $612.31{\mu}Sv/y$, which are higher than the world average values of 59 nGy/h and $70{\mu}Sv/y$, respectively. The $H_{ex}$ values were also calculated to be 3.02, 0.47, 0.63, 0.87, 0.87, 0.51 and 0.91. It was found that the calculated value of $H_{ex}$ for Sample 1 is significantly higher than the international acceptable limit of <1. The results are tabulated, depicted, and discussed within national and international frameworks, levels, and approaches.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.259-264
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• 2020

Radiation causes radiation hazards in the human body. In Korea, a case of radiation necrosis occurred in 2014. In this study, the scatter and shielding efficiency according to lead shielding were classified into epidermis and dermis for 0.511 MeV used in nuclear medicine. In this study, experiments were conducted using the slab phantom that represents calibration and the dose of human trunk. Experimental results showed that the shielding rate of 0.25 mmPb was 180% in the epidermis and 96% in the dermis. Shielding at 0.5mmPb showed shielding rates of 158%in the epidermis and 82% in the dermis. As a result of measuring the absorbed dose by subdividing the thickness of the dermis into 0.5 mm intervals, when the shielding was carried out at 0.25 mmPb, the dose appeared to be about 120% at 0.5 mm of the dermis surface, and the dose was decreased at the subsequent depth. Shielding at 0.5 mmPb, the dose appeared to be about 101% at the surface 0.5 mm, and the dose was measured to decrease at the subsequent depth. This result suggests that when lead aprons are actually used, the scattering rays would be sufficiently removed due to the spaces generated by the clothes and air, Therefore, the scattered ray generated from lead will not reach the human body. The ICRU defines the epidermis (0.07), in which the radiation-induced damage of the skin occurs, as the dose equivalent. If the radiation dose of the dermis is considered in addition, it will be helpful for the evaluation of the prognosis for radiation hazard of the skin.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.33-38
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine how lacunar infarction developed and what its characteristics were. As this disease had little noticeable clinical symptoms and is likely to draw less attention than other types of cerebrovascular diseases like panhemispheric infarction, it‘s difficult to make an early diagnosis of it or treat it successfully. The subjects in this study were 196 people who showed no clinical symptoms and took a MRI test. When the MRI test data were analyzed, signal intensity and the part where that disease was detected were primarily taken into account. As a result, it's found that 116 people had no lacunar infarction and 80 people suffered from that disease, including 13 with very mild lacunar infarction, 41 with mild lacunar infarction and 26 with lacunar infarction. However, very mild and mild lacunar infarction could not be viewed as clinically significant cases, and only 26 people, which accounted for 13 percent of the subjects, should be considered to be diagnosed with lacuanr infarction. The most common part where that disease was found was white matter and basal ganglia, regardless of gender. Accordingly, those who are exposed to health hazards such as hypertension or diabetes should take a MRI test to prevent cerebrovascular diseases that might be caused by those illnesses.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2802-2811
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• 2023

In a first-of-its-kind study, terrestrial radionuclide concentrations were measured in 35 topsoil samples from the outskirts of Dhaka using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry to assess the radiological consequences of such a vast number of brick kilns on the plant workers, general as well as dwelling environment. The range of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K is found at 19 ± 3.04 to 38 ± 4.94, 39 ± 5.85 to 57 ± 7.41, and (430 ± 51.60 to 570 ± 68.40) Bq/kg, respectively. ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K concentrations were higher than the global averages. Bottom ash deposition in lowlands, fly ash buildup in soils, and the fallout of micro-particles are all probable causes of the elevated radioactivity levels. ¹³⁷Cs was found in the sample, which indicates the migration of ¹³⁷Cs from nuclear accidents or nuclear fallout, or the contamination of feed coal. Although the effective dose received by the general public was below the recommended dose limit but, most estimates of hazard parameters surpass their respective population weighted global averages, indicating that brick kiln workers and nearby residents are not safe due to prolonged exposures to terrestrial radiation. In addition, the soil around sampling sites is found to be unsuitable for agricultural purposes.