• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.351-356
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• 2021

Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs) have various radiation protection programs to attain radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). In terms of ALARA, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of administrative dose control for occupationally-exposed workers in Korean NPPs. In addition to dose limits, administrative dose constraints are implemented to resolve an inequity of radiation exposure in which some individuals in NPPs receive relatively higher doses than others. Occupational dose constraints in Korean NPPs are presented in this paper with the background of how those values were determined. For pressurized water reactors, 80% and 90% of the annual average limit for an effective dose, 20 mSv/y, are set as the primary and secondary dose constraints, respectively. Pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) have also established the primary and secondary dose constraints corresponding to 70% and 80% of the effective dose limit, and additional constraints for tritium concentration are provided to control internal exposure in PHWRs. Follow-up measures for exceeding these administrative dose constraints are also introduced compared to exceeding the dose limits. Finally, analysis results of dose distributions show how the implementation of administrative dose constraints impacted the occupational dose distributions in Korean NPPs during the years 2009-2018.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2640-2645
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• 2021

We report the development of a gamma-ray imaging device, named Large-Area Hybrid Gamma Imager (LAHGI), featuring high imaging sensitivity and good imaging resolution over a broad energy range. A hybrid collimation method, which combines mechanical and electronic collimation, is employed for a stable imaging performance based on large-area scintillation detectors for high imaging sensitivity. The system comprises two monolithic position-sensitive NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors with a crystal area of 27 × 27 cm² and a tungsten coded aperture mask with a modified uniformly redundant array (MURA) pattern. The performance of the system was evaluated under several source conditions. The system showed good imaging resolution (i.e., 6.0-8.9° FWHM) for the entire energy range of 59.5-1330 keV considered in the present study. It also showed very high imaging sensitivity, successfully imaging a 253 µCi ¹³⁷Cs source located 15 m away in 1 min; this performance is notable considering that the dose rate at the front surface of the system, due to the existence of the ¹³⁷Cs source, was only 0.003 µSv/h, which corresponds to ~3% of the background level.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.1378-1389
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• 2021

TRIUMF, Canada's particle accelerator centre, is constructing a new high-power ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) facility called ARIEL (Advanced Rare IsotopE Laboratory). Thick porous targets will be bombarded with up to 48 kW of 480 MeV protons from TRIUMF's cyclotron, or up to 100 kW of 30 MeV electrons from a new e-linac, to produce short-lived radioisotopes for a variety of applications, including nuclear astrophysics, fundamental nuclear structure and nuclear medicine. For efficient release of radioisotopes, the targets are heated to temperatures approaching 2000 ℃, and are exposed to GSv/h level radiation fields resulting from intended fissions and spallations. Due to these conditions, the operational life for each target is only about five weeks, calling for frequent remote target exchanges to limit downtime. A few days after irradiation, the targets have a residual radiation field producing a dose rate on the order of 10 Sv/h at 1 m, requiring several years of decay prior to shipment to a national disposal facility. TRIUMF is installing new remote handling infrastructure dedicated to ARIEL, including hot cells and a remote handling crane. The system design applies learnings from multiple existing facilities, including CERN-ISOLDE, GANIL-SPIRAL II as well as TRIUMF's ISAC (Isotope Separator and ACcelerator).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2022

Nuclear power plant decommissioning generates significant concrete waste, which is slightly contaminated, and expected to be classified as clearance concrete waste. Clearance concrete waste is generally crushed into rubble at the site or a satellite treatment facility for practical disposal purposes. During the process, workers are exposed to radiation from the nuclides in concrete waste. The treatment processes consist of concrete cutting/crushing, transportation, and loading/unloading. Workers' radiation exposure during the process was systematically studied. A shielding package comprising a cylindrical and hexahedron structure was considered to reduce workers' radiation exposure, and improved the treatment process's efficiency. The shielding package's effect on workers' radiation exposure during the cutting and crushing process was also studied. The calculated annual radiation exposure of concrete treatment workers was below 1 mSv, which is the annual radiation exposure limit for members of the public. It was also found that workers involved in cutting and crushing were exposed the most.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.511-521
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• 2022

Decommissioning of nuclear power plants generates a large amount of radioactive waste in a short period. Moreover, Radioactive waste has various forms including a large volumes of metal, concrete, and solid waste. The disposal of decommissioning waste using 200 L drums is inefficient in terms of economics, work efficiency, and radiation safety. Therefore, The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency is developing large containers for the packaging, transportation, and disposal of decommissioning waste. Assessing disposability considering the characteristics of the radioactive waste and facility, convenience of operation, and safety of workers is necessary. In this study, the exposure dose rate of workers during the disposal of new containers was evaluated using Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code. Six normal and four abnormal scenarios were derived for the assessment of the dose rate in a near surface disposal facility operation. The results showed that the calculated dose rates in all normal scenarios were lower than the direct exposure dose limitation of workers in the safety analysis report. In abnormal scenarios, the work hours with dose rates below 20 mSv·y^-1 were calculated. The results of this study will be useful in establishing the optimal radiation work conditions.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.517-528
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• 2022

Due to its excellent diagnostic performance, CT is the mainstay of diagnostic test in adults with suspected acute appendicitis in many countries. Although debatable, extensive epidemiological studies have suggested that CT radiation is carcinogenic, at least in children and adolescents. Setting aside the debate over the carcinogenic risk of CT radiation, the value of judicious use of CT radiation cannot be overstated for the diagnosis of appendicitis, considering that appendicitis is a very common disease, and that the vast majority of patients with suspected acute appendicitis are adolescents and young adults with average life expectancies. Given the accumulated evidence justifying the use of low-dose CT (LDCT) of only 2 mSv, there is no reasonable basis to insist on using radiation dose of multi-purpose abdominal CT for the diagnosis of appendicitis, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Published data strongly suggest that LDCT is comparable to conventional dose CT in terms of clinical outcomes and diagnostic performance. In this narrative review, we will discuss such evidence for reducing CT radiation in adolescents and young adults with suspected appendicitis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.2274-2281
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• 2024

RESRAD-ONSITE v7.2 code is used to assess the radiation effects on a farmer resident located in a hypothetical contaminated site planned for the first nuclear power plant project in Vietnam, namely Ninh Thuan 1, after decommissioning. Derived concentration guideline levels are preliminarily calculated for 17 radionuclides that are assumed to remain on a contaminated surface soil with an initial concentration of 1 pCi/g in the protected area of NPP site. For a reliable estimation, the site-specific conditions regarding the geological, hydrological, climate, and occupancy data gathered from the Feasibility Study Report (FSR) and relevant literatures for the Ninh Thuan 1 NPP site is employed as input parameters. The calculation results indicate that the peak of total exposure dose is estimated to be ca. 0.191 mSv/yr at the time of decommissioning, and then decrease over time. Furthermore, the protected site is assessed to be released at ca. 6.71 years after decommissioning under the regulation on radiation protection in Vietnam. Through this study, a radiation exposure model for residents living near the Ninh Thuan 1 NPP is preliminarily established by using the RESRAD-ONSITE code, which are expected to be useful for future implementation of the Ninh Thuan 1 NPP project in Vietnam.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.987-994
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• 2019

Low energy x-rays that occur in the low tube voltage radiography of general radiography are absorbed strongly in the body and do not aid image quality enhancement. This study maintains titer in general radiography while using tube current that are proportional to density and the tube voltage 15% principle according to density to reduce patient exposure doses, and area doses and entrance surface doses were measured to compare patient exposure doses. In hand, knee, abdomen, and skull radiography, kVp was increased to 115% and mAs was decreased to 50% and kVp was decreased to 85% while mAs was increased to 200% and area doses and entrance surface doses were measured to compare relative doses. Also, 5 places in each image were set, density was measured, and Kruskal wallis H test was conducted to observe significance probabilities between groups. To fix density, kVp was increased to 115% and mAs was decreased to 50% and after measurements of mean area doses and entrance surface doses were made by each part, each decreased to 58.68% and 59.85% when standard doses were set to 100%, and each increased to 147.28% and 159.9% when kVp was decreased to 85% and mAs was increased to 200%. Comparisons of density changes showed that hand, knee, abdomen, and skull radiography all displayed significance probabilities>0.05, showing no changes in concentration. Radiography that increases kVp and lowers mAs through reasonable calculations within ranges that don't affect resolution and contrast seems to be a simple way to decrease patient exposure doses.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.335-339
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• 2003

Purpose : Surfactant protein A(SP-A) is involved in surfactant physiology and structure, and plays a major role in innate host defense and inflammatory processes in the lung. Steroid therapy is widely used for mothers who threaten to deliver prematurely and also used commonly in the management of preterm infants with chronic lung disease. Two SP-A genes(SP-A1, SP-A2) and several alleles have been characterized for each SP-A gene in human. Preliminary evidence indicates that differences may exist among alleles in response to Dexamethasone(Dexa) and that the SP-A 3'UTR plays a role in this process. We studied whether 3'UTR-mediated differences exist among the most frequently found SP-A alleles in response to Dexa. Methods : Constructs containing the 3'UTR from eight different SP-A alleles were made using luciferase as a the reporter gene. These constructs were driven by the SV40 promotor and were transfected along with a transfection control vector in H441 cells that express SP-A. The activity of the reporter gene in the presence or absence of Dexa(100 nM) treatment was measured. All the experiments for the eight SP-A alleles studied, were performed in triplicate and repeated five times. The results were normalized to the transfection control. Results : Expression of alleles of 6A3, 6A, 1A were significantly decreased in response to Dexa. Conclusion : Three UTR mediated differences exist among human SP-A variants both in the basal expression and in response to Dexa. These genotype-dependent differences may point to a need for a careful consideration of individual use of steroid treatment in the prematurely born infant.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.218-225
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• 1999

We isolated the ANRI fragment from Aspergillus nidulons that could autononlously replicate and enhance transformation efficiency about $10^4$ fold compared lo the integrative vector in Saccha,omgcer cerevisioe. In A. nidulans recombinant plasmid pLJ16-4.5 which carries the 4.5 kb EcoRI fragment of ANRI showed a 170-[old increase of transformation efficiency compared to the integrative vector pLJ16 and could be recovered from iransfonnants as an intact form. Estimated copy number of transforming plasmid pLJ16-4.5 was scored as 2 to 3 copies in transformed A. nidulans. Recoinbinant plasinid pILJ16-4.5 is inilotically unstable; being lost Irom 65% of aswual progeny of transformants on selective medium and 90% on complete medium. Southern analysis of transformant DNA showed that the pILJ16-4.5 is maintained in free form. The sequencing data showed that ANRl fragment was originated from mitochondiral DNA of A. nid~ilans and contained high AT content as much as 74.7%. One ARS consensus sequence (A/T)TTr4T(A/G)TTT(AiT). I I ARS-like sequence (agreement 10 of 11) and ABFl binding core consensus sequence (TCN7ACG). Also six gyrase binding core consensus sequence (YRTGNYNNY: y=C or T, R=A or G, N=A, G, C or T) of $\Phi$X174 and SV40 DNA and one b site (CACTTTACC) combining with gyrase in ColEl are shown. ANRl can be developed as a repl&ng plasinid for lransfoimation system in A. nirlulmis.