• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제24권7호
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• pp.927-937
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• 2015

This study was performed to identify and quantify the asbestos fibers released from two types of asbestos-cement slate roofs. One is a plant roof installed in 1987 which contained 15% chrysotile, and the other is a residential roof installed before 1983 which contained 12% chrysotile. The concentrations of asbestos fibers in air surrounding asbestos-cement slate roofs and in the falling water harvested from the same roofs on rainy days ranged from 0.0012 to 0.0018 f/mL and from 1,764 f/L to 10,584 f/L, respectively. The concentration of inorganic fibers in the soil around asbestos-cement slate roofs was from 217 to 348 f/g. With the above results, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) for the risk assessment of the asbestos fibers released from asbestos-cement slate based on US EPA IRIS (Integrated risk information system) model is within 5.5E-06 ~ 6.5E-06 levels which indicates that the levels do not exceed "the acceptable risk(1.0E-05)" recommended by WHO. The asbestos concentration in air, drained rainfall and soil around the plant slate roof was higher than that around residential slate roof, but the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) from residential slate was higher than that from plant slate. This suggested that the enclose and encapsulation of residential roofs have priority in removal policy to minimize the exposure risk.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제22권12호
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• pp.1579-1587
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• 2013

This study was performed to evaluate the asbestos exposure levels and to calculate excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) for the risk assessment of the asbestos fibers released from asbestos-cement slate roofing (ASR) building. Total number of ASR buildings was into 21,267 in Busan, and 82.03 percent of the buildings was residential houses, and 43.61 percent of the buildings was constructed in 1970s. For this study, ten buildings were selected randomly among the ASR buildings. The range of airborne asbestos concentration in the selected ten ASR buildings was from 0.0016 to 0.0067 f/mL, and the concentration around no-admitted ASR buildings was higher than that around admitted buildings. The ELCR based on US EPA IRIS (integrated risk information system) model is within 3.5E-05 ~ 1.5E-04 levels, and the ELCR of no-admitted ASR buildings was higher than 1.0E-04 (one person per million) level that is considered a more aggressive approach to mitigate risk. These results indicate that the cancer risk from ASR buildings is higher than other buildings, and systematic public management is required for control of no-admitted ASR buildings within near future.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.325-336
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• 2019

The activity concentrations of $^{226}Ra$, $^{232}Th$, and $^{40}K$ from 102 building materials samples were determined using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The activity concentrations were evaluated for possible radiological hazards to the human health. The excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCR) were also estimated, and the average values were recorded as $0.42{\pm}0.24{\times}10^{-3}$, $3.22{\pm}1.83{\times}10^{-3}$, and $3.65{\pm}1.85{\times}10^{-3}$ for outdoor, indoor, and total ELCR respectively. The activity concentrations were further subjected to RESRAD-BUILD computer code to evaluate the long-term radiation exposure to a dweller. The indoor doses were assessed from zero up to 70 years. The simulation results were $92{\pm}59$, $689{\pm}566$, and $782{\pm}569{\mu}Sv\;y^{-1}$ for indoor external, internal, and total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) respectively. The results reported were all below the recommended maximum values. Therefore, the radiological hazards attributed to building materials under study are negligible.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권4호
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• pp.1431-1438
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• 2022

In this study, natural radioactivity concentrations and dosimetric values of fly ash samples were evaluated for the landfill area of the coal-fired power plant (CFPP) complex at Binh Thuan, Vietnam. The average activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K were 93, 77, 92 and 938 Bq kg^-1, respectively. The average results for radon dose, indoor external, internal, and total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) were 5.27, 1.22, 0.16, and 6.65 mSv y^-1, respectively. The average emanation fraction for fly ash were 0.028. The excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCR) were recorded as 20.30×10^-3, 4.26×10^-3, 0.62×10^-3, and 25.61×10^-3 for radon, indoor, outdoor exposures, and total ELCR, respectively. The results indicated that the cover of shielding materials above the landfill area significantly decreased the gamma radiation from the ash and slag in the ascending order: Zeolite < PVC < Soil < Concrete. Total dose of all radionuclides in the landfill site reached its peak at 19.8 years. The obtained data are useful for evaluation of radiation safety when fly ash is used for building material as well as the radiation risk and the overload of the landfill area from operation of these plants for population and workers.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권2호
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• pp.707-714
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• 2024

Different degrees of natural radioactivity found in quartz can have negative consequences on health. Quartz vein along the investigated Abu Ramad area, Egypt, had its natural radioactivity assessed. The HPGe spectrometer was used to determine the role played by the radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K in the gamma radiation that was emitted, and the results showed that these concentrations are 484.64 ± 288.4, 36.8 ± 13.1 and 772.2 ± 134.6 Bq kg^-1 were higher than the corresponding reported global limits of 33, 45, and 412 Bq kg^-1 for each radionuclide (²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K). Among the radiological hazard parameters, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) is estimated and it's mean value of ELCR (1.2) is higher than the permissible limit of 0.00029. The relationship between the radionuclides and the associated radiological hazard characteristics was investigated based on multivariate statistical methods including Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). According to statistical research, the radioactive risk of quartz is primarily caused by the ²³⁸U, ²³²Thand ⁴⁰K. Finally, applying quartz to building materials would pose a significant risk to the public.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.72-81
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure and risk assessment of residents near asbestos mines in Korea. Methods: To assess asbestos types and airborne concentrations, air monitoring was performed in the neighborhoods of Kwangcheon (KC) and Sinsuk (SS) mines, which were leading South Korean mines in the past. In addition, activity-based-sampling (ABS) of residents' particular activities were conducted in order to estimate the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risks (ELCRs) for the residents. Conclusions: The average concentration of airborne asbestos in KC was 0.0014 f/cc and 0.0015 f/cc by PCM and TEM, respectively. In SS it was equal at 0.0012 f/cc by PCM and TEM. No statistically significant difference was found in the average concentration of airborne asbestos between the two mines. The average asbestos concentration of ABS was 0.0048 f/cc (PCM) and 0.0042 f/cc (TEM) in KC, while it was 0.0137 f/cc (PCM) and 0.0125 f/cc (TEM) in SS. It was found that the average asbestos concentration of ABS in SS was statistically significantly higher than that of KC (p<0.01). The results of ELCRs by scenario in KC showed that the scenarios of bicycle, car, weed control, weed whacking, child playing in the dirt, and physical training fell within $1{\times}0^{-6}-1{\times}10^{-4}$, which is the acceptable range of ELCR. The scenarios of motorcycle, walker, digging, and field sweeping, however, exceeded the acceptable range. In SS, only the scenario of car fell within the acceptable range, while all of the other scenarios exceeded the acceptable range.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.345-350
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• 2012

충북의 D-석면광산 인근지역에서 석면이 포함된 토양으로 부터 대기 중으로 비산되는 석면조사와 주민들의 일상생활이나 토양을 경작하는 농업활동 등의 석면노출이 가능한 주요활동에 대한 인체 위해도를 평가하여, 지역주민의 건강 위해성을 미연에 방지하는 대책을 수립하고자 본 연구를 수행하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 첫째, 대기 중 석면 모니터링을 위해 바람의 방향을 고려하여 지역주민의 거주지 근처에 시료채취지점을 선정하였다. 이를 위상차현미경으로 분석한 결과, 20개 지점 중에서 12개 지점은 검출한계 이하이고, 8개 지점도 0.0025~0.0029 f/cc 범위로 석면안전관리법의 공기질 관리기준 0.01 f/cc 보다 매우 낮은 수준이었다. 또한 투과전자현미경으로 이 섬유상 물질을 분석한 결과도 석면이 아니거나 검출한계 이하로 나타났다. 일반 대기 중 석면의 악영향은 거의 없는 것으로 추정된다. 둘째, 현장조사와 지역주민의 설문조사를 토대로 활동근 거시료채취 시나리오를 현지 실정에 맞게 설정하였으며, 그 중에서 예초기 작업과 흙파기, 마당쓸기 시나리오의 경우에 위해도의 95% 신뢰상한치가 석면에 대한 활동별 초과생애발암위해도의 허용치 $1{\times}10^{-4}$을 초과하는 것으로 나타났다. 토양 교란활동이 수반되는 농경활동에는 토양에 함유된 석면섬유상 물질이 많이 비산되는 것으로 판단되며, 지역주민의 세심한 주의가 요구된다. 따라서 이에 대한 결과를 바탕으로 환경성 노출원을 가능하다면 원천적으로 차단하여 석면노출을 최소화하고, 지역주민들에게 석면노출 가능성이 있는 환경에 대해 널리 알림으로써 토양을 교란하여 석면이 비산되는 행위를 제한하는 등의 석면으로 인한 건강피해를 줄이는 체계적인 관리대책이 강구되어야 할 것이다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권6호
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• pp.2239-2246
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• 2024

The present study aimed to assess the radioactive hazards associated with the application of granitoid rocks in building materials. An HPGe spectrometer was used to detect the levels of the radioactive elements uranium-238, thorium-232, and potassium-40 in the granitoid rocks. The results showed that the levels of these elements were lower (38.32 < 33 Bq kg^-1), comparable (47.19-45 Bq kg^-1) and higher (992.26 ≫> 412 Bq kg^-1) than the worldwide limits for ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K concentration, respectively. The exposure to gamma radiation of granitoid rocks was studied by various radiological hazard variables like the absorbed dose rate (D_air), the outdoor and indoor annual effective dose (AED_out and AED_in), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR). A variety of statistical methods, including Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used, to study the relationship between the radioactive elements and the radiological hazards. According to statistical analysis, the main radioactive risk of granitoid rocks is contributed to by the elements uranium-238, thorium-232, and potassium-40. Granitoid rocks can be applied in building materials, but under control to prevent risk to the public.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.207-215
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• 2024

This study focuses on measuring the levels of naturally occurring radioactivity in the soil of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, as well as the associated health hazard. Thirty (30) soil samples were collected from various locations and analyzed for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K radioactivity levels using a High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer with a photo-peak efficiency of approximately 52.3%. The average values obtained for these radionuclides are 35.6 ± 5.7 Bqkg^-1, 47 ± 12.5 Bqkg^-1, and 877 ± 153 Bqkg^-1, respectively. The level of ²³²Th is slightly higher and ⁴⁰K is 2.2 times higher than the internationally recommended limit of 30 Bqkg^-1 and 400 Bqkg^-1, respectively. Various parameters were calculated based on the results obtained, including Radium Equivalent (Ra_eq), External Hazard (H_ex), Absorbed Dose Rate (D), Annual Gonadal Equivalent Dose (AGDE), Annual Effective Dose Rate, and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR), which are 170.3 ± 24 Bqkg^-1, 0.46 ± 0.06 Bqkg^-1, 81.4 ± 2.04 nGy h^-1, 582 ± 78.08 µSvy^-1, 99.8 ± 13.5 µSv Gy^-1, and 0.349 ± 0.04, respectively. These values are below the limits recommended by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) in 2002. This study highlights the potential radiation threats associated with natural radioactivity levels in the soil of Swabi and provides valuable information for public health and safety.