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http://dx.doi.org/10.4491/KSEE.2016.38.1.42

A Case Study about Counting Uncertainty of Radioactive Iodine (131I) in Public Waters by Using Gamma Spectrometry  

Cho, Yoonhae (Geum River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Seol, Bitna (Geum River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Min, Kyoung Ok (Geum River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Kim, Wan Suk (Geum River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Lee, Junbae (Geum River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Lee, Soohyung (Geum River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Publication Information
Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers / v.38, no.1, 2016 , pp. 42-46 More about this Journal
Abstract
The radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) presents in the environment through the excrete process of nuclear medicine patients. In the detecting of low level of $^{131}I$ in the public water, the counting uncertainty has an effect on the accuracy and reliability of detecting $^{131}I$ radioactivity concentration. In this study, the contribution of sample amount, radioactivity concentration and counting time to the uncertainty was investigated in the case of public water sample. Sampling points are public water and the effluents of a sewage treatment plant at Sapkyocheon stream, Geumgang river. In each point, 1, 10 and 20 L of liquid samples were collected and prepared by evaporation method. The HPGe (High Purity Germanium) detector was used to detect and analyze emitted gamma-ray from samples. The radioactivity concentration of $^{131}I$ were in the range of 0.03 to 1.8 Bq/L. The comparison of the counting uncertainty of the sample amount, 1 L sample is unable to verify the existence of the $^{131}I$ under 0.5 Bq/L radioactivity concentration. Considering the short half-life of $^{131}I$ (8.03 days), a method for measuring 1 L sample was used. However comparing the detecting and preparing time of 1, 10 L respectively, detecting 10 L sample would be an appropriate method to distinguish $^{131}I$ concentration in the public water.
Keywords
Radioactive Iodine ($^{131}I$); Counting Uncertainty; Environmental Radiation; Gamma Spectrometry;
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