Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Current status of disposal and measurement analysis of radioactive components in linear accelerators in Korea

  • Kwon, Na Hye (Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine) ;
  • Shin, Dong Oh (Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Jinsung (Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine) ;
  • Yoo, Jaeryong (National Radiation Emergency Center, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences) ;
  • Park, Min Seok (National Radiation Emergency Center, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences) ;
  • Kim, Kum Bae (Research Team of Radiological Physics and Engineering, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences) ;
  • Kim, Dong Wook (Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine) ;
  • Choi, Sang Hyoun (Research Team of Radiological Physics and Engineering, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences)
  • Received : 2021.03.17
  • Accepted : 2021.11.02
  • Published : 2022.02.25
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Abstract

When X-ray energy above 8 MV is used, photoneutrons are generated by the photonuclear reaction, which activates the components of linear accelerator (linac). Safely managing the radioactive material, when disposing linac or replacing components, is difficult, as the standards for the radioactive material management are not clear in Korea. We surveyed the management status of radioactive components occurred from medical linacs in Korea. And we also measured the activation of each part of the discarded Elekta linac using a survey meter and portable High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. We found that most medical institutions did not perform radiation measurements when disposing of radioactive components. The radioactive material was either stored within the institution or collected by the manufacturer. The surface dose rate measurements showed that the parts with high surface dose rates were target, primary collimator, and multileaf collimator (MLC). 60Co nuclide was detected in most parts, whereas for the target, 60Co and 184Re nuclides were detected. Results suggest that most institutions in Korea did not have the regulations for disposing radioactive waste from linac or the management procedures and standards were unclear. Further studies are underway to evaluate short-lived radionuclides and to lay the foundation for radioactive waste management from medical linacs.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Nuclear Safety Research Program through the Korea Foundation of Nuclear Safety (KoFONS) using the financial resource granted by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of the Republic of Korea(No. 2003013) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (No. 2020M2D9A3094170).

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