DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Radiological environmental impact assessment for phosphate industry in Korea

  • Byung-Min Lee (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Seong Yeon Lee (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Min Woo Kwak (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kwang Pyo Kim (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University)
  • Received : 2023.11.30
  • Accepted : 2024.05.31
  • Published : 2024.10.25

Abstract

NORM is used as a raw material in various industries worldwide. According to the IAEA, radiological effects may occur in the environment due to raw materials and by-products generated from NORM industries. The objective of this study was to assess radiological environmental impact of the phosphate processing industry to identify the radiological effects on the general public. The resident farmer scenario was chosen as the exposure scenario due to the living characteristics of the public around the facility and the conservatism of the assessment. The RESRAD-OFFSITE code was used to evaluate the radiation dose to the public. The maximum radiation dose to the public was 6.13 × 10-3 mSv/y. Main exposure pathways were aquatic food ingestion, radon inhalation, and meat ingestion. The uranium series accounted for about 99 % of the total radiation dose, while the thorium series and K-40 nuclides accounted for less than 1 %. These study results can be used for management of radiological impact to the public around domestic NORM industries.

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. RS-2021-KN048610).

References

  1. International Atomic Energy Agency, Assessing the need for radiation protection measures in work involving minerals and raw materials, IAEA Safety Report Series No. 49, 2006. 
  2. Australian Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety Agency. Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), Radiation Protection Series No.15, 2008. 
  3. International Atomic Energy Agency, Radiation protection and NORM residue management in the zircon and zirconia industries, IAEA Safety Report Series No. 51, (2007). 
  4. International Atomic Energy Agency, Radiation protection and NORM residue management in the production of rare earths from thorium containing minerals, IAEA Safety Report Series No. 68 (2011). 
  5. International Atomic Energy Agency, Radiation Protection and NORM Residue Management in the Titanium Dioxide and Related Industries, IAEA Safety Report Series No. 76 (2012). 
  6. International Atomic Energy Agency, Radiation Protection and Management of NORM Residues in the Phosphate Industry, IAEA Safety Report Series No. 78 (2013), 2013. 
  7. European Commission, Effluent and dose control from European Union NORM industries: assessment of current situation and proposal for a harmonised Community approach, EC Radiation protection 135, (2003). 
  8. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Investigation and Analysis of Actual State of Safety Management for Radiation in the Natural Environment, KINS/GR, 2022. 
  9. Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, The suggested state regulations for control of radiation, Part N, regulation and licensing of technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM), SSRCRs 1 (2004). 
  10. International Atomic Energy Agency, Extent of Environmental Contamination by Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) and Technological Options for Mitigation, IAEA Technical Reports Series No.419; 2003. 
  11. International Commission on Radiological Protection, Radiological Protection from Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material in Industrial Processes, vol. 142, ICRP Publication, 2019. 
  12. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Systematic Radiological Assessment of Exemptions for Source and Byproduct Materials, 2001, pp. NUREG-1717. 
  13. R.G. Reis, D.C. Lauria, A Prospective Radiological Risk Assessment for a Phosphate Industry Project, INIS-BR-17357, 2012. 
  14. Mohamad Kontol Khairuddin, Ismail Sulaiman, Faizal Azrin Abdul Razalim, Radiological impact assessment in disposal of treated sludge, JSNM 27 (2) (2015). 
  15. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Study on the Decontamination of Radionuclides in Spent Phosphogypsum, KAERI/RR-3171, 2009. 
  16. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, User's Manual for RESRAD-OFFSITE Code Version 4. NUREG/CR-7268, 2020. 
  17. Argonne National Laboratory, User's Manual for RESRAD-OFFSITE Version 2. ANL/EVS/TM/07-1, 2007. 
  18. International Commission on Radiological Protection, Assessing Dose of the Representative Person for the Purpose of Radiation Protection of the Public, 101A, ICRP Publication, 2006. 
  19. David R. Maidment, Handbook of Hydrology, 1993. 
  20. Roger B. Clapp, George M. Hornberger, Empirical equations for some soil hydraulic properties, Water Resour. Res. 14 (No.4) (1978). 
  21. Argonne National Laboratory, Data Collection Handbook to Support Modeling the Impacts of Radioactive Material in Soil, ANL/EAIS-8, 1993. 
  22. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Development of Regulatory Technology on Radiation Safety, KINS/GR-199, 2000. 
  23. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Study for an Improvement of INDAC, KINS/RR-808, 2011. 
  24. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Regulatory guideline - assessment of doses to the public, KINS/RG-N02.02, Rev.3 (2022). 
  25. Environmental Protection Agency, Update for Chapter 5 of the Exposure Factors Handbook - Soil and Dust Ingestion, 2017. EPA/600/R-17/384F. 
  26. Florida Institute of Phosphate Research, Evaluation of Exposure to Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) in the Phosphate Industry, FIPR 05-046-155, 1998. 
  27. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Investigation on the Natural Radioactive Industrial Materials, KINS/HR-858, 2008. 
  28. Gae Lee Gill, Sang Mo Koh, Byung Uck Chang, Tong Kwon Kim, Young Ug Kim, Investigation on natural radioactivity of environmental samples near the phosphate rock processing facility, Economic and Environmental Geology 44 (1) (2011) 37-48.