• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.143-151
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• 2022

Background: After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, biological alterations in the natural biota, including morphological changes of fir trees in forests surrounding the power plant, have been reported. Focusing on the terminal buds involved in the morphological formation of fir trees, this study developed a method for estimating the absorbed radiation dose rate using radionuclide distribution measurements from tree organs. Materials and Methods: A phantom composed of three-dimensional (3D) tree organs was constructed for the three upper whorls of the fir tree. A terminal bud was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations for the absorbed dose rate of radionuclides in the tree organs of the whorls. Evaluation of the absorbed dose targeted ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs, and ¹³⁷Cs, the main radionuclides subsequent to the FDNPP accident. The dose contribution from each tree organ was calculated separately using dose coefficients (DC), which express the ratio between the average activity concentration of a radionuclide in each tree organ and the dose rate at the terminal bud. Results and Discussion: The dose estimation indicated that the radionuclides in the terminal bud and bud scale contributed to the absorbed dose rate mainly by beta rays, whereas those in 1-year-old trunk/branches and leaves were contributed by gamma rays. However, the dose contribution from radionuclides in the lower trunk/branches and leaves was negligible. Conclusion: The fir tree model provides organ-specific DC values, which are satisfactory for the practical calculation of the absorbed dose rate of radiation from inside the tree. These calculations are based on the measurement of radionuclide concentrations in tree organs on the 1-year-old leader shoots of fir trees. With the addition of direct gamma ray measurements of the absorbed dose rate from the tree environment, the total absorbed dose rate was estimated in the terminal bud of fir trees in contaminated forests.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.315-325
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• 1990

The analytical repository source term (REPS) computer code is developed for the safety assessment of radioactive waste geologic repository. For reliable prediction of the leach rates for various radionuclides, degradation of concrete structures, corrosion rate of waste container, degree of corrosion on the container surface, and the characteristics of radionuclides are considered in this REPS code. For the validation of the radionuclide leach rates predicted by the REPS model, the calculated leach rates of Cs-137, Sr-85, and Co-60 are compared with two reported leaching test results. Cesium and strontium leach congruently, and the leaching test results of these species can be reproduced by the congruent leaching model included in the REPS model. In case of cobalt, the solid diffusion model is in good agreement with the leaching test results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 1993

A simplified safety assessment is carried out on rock-cavern type disposal of LLW using the analytical repository source term (REPS) model. For reliable prediction of the leach rates for various radionuclides, degradation of concrete structures, corrosion rate of waste container, degree of corrosion on the container surface, and the characteristics of radionuclides are considered in the REPS model. The results of preliminary assessment show that Cs-137, Ni-63, and Sr-90 are dominant. For the parametric uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, Latin hypercube sampling technique and rank correlation technique are applied. The results of the potential public health impacts show that radiological dose to intruder in the worst case scenario will be negligible and that more attention should be given to near-field performance.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.105-112
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• 2008

To measure the soil-to-plant transfer factors ($TF_a,\;m^2\;kg^{-1}$-fresh) of radionuclides deposited during the growing season of potato, a radioactive solution containing $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;^{85}Sr$ and $^{137}Cs$ was applied to the soil surfaces in soil boxes 2 d before seeding and three different times during the plant growth. For the pre-seeding application (PSA), radionuclides were mixed with the topsoil (loamy sand and 5.2 in pH). The plant parts investigated were leaves, stems, tuber skin and tuber flesh. The $TF_a$ values of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;^{85}Sr$ and $^{137}Cs$ from the PSA were in the ranges of $1.9{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}1.5{\times}10^{-2}$, $1.8{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}7.5{\times}10^{-4}$, $4.0{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}1.6{\times}10^{-2}$, $1.5{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}3.9{\times}10^{-4}$ respectively, for different plant parts. The TFa values from the growing-time applications were on the whole a few times lower than those from the PSA. For $^{54}Mn,\;^{85}Sr$ and $^{137}Cs$, the $TF_a$ values from the early- or middle-growth-stage application were higher than those from the late-growth-stage application, whereas the opposite was true for $^{60}Co$. Leaves and tuber flesh had the highest and lowest $TF_a$ values, respectively, in most cases. The total uptake from soil by the four plant parts was in the range of $0.05{\sim}3.16%$. In the third year following the PSA, the $TF_a$ values of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co$ and $^{137}Cs$ were $11{\sim}25%$, $21{\sim}25%$ and $38{\sim}67%$ of those in the first year, respectively, depending on the plant parts. The present results can be used for estimating the radiological impact of an acute radioactive deposition during the growing season of potato and for testing the validity of relevant food-chain models.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.3034-3042
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• 2022

The results of radioecological monitoring of the cooling pond Beloyarsk NPP (Russia) have been presented. The influence of waste technological waters of thermal and fast NPP reactors on the content of artificial radionuclides in surface waters and bottom sediments of the Beloyarsk reservoir has been studied. The long-term dynamics of the specific activity of ⁶⁰Co, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs and ³H in the main components of the freshwater ecosystem at different distances from the source of radionuclide discharge has been estimated. Critical radionuclides (⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs), routes of their entry and periods of maximum discharge of radioisotopes into the cooling pond have been determined. It is shown that the technology of electricity generation at Beloyarsk NPP, based on fast reactors, has a much smaller effect on the flow of artificial radionuclides into the freshwater ecosystem of the reservoir. During the entire period of monitoring studies, the decrease in the specific activity of radionuclides from NPP origin in surface waters was 4.3-74.5 times, in bottom sediments 10-505 times. The maximum discharge of artificial radionuclides into the reservoir was noted during the period of restoration and decontamination work aimed at eliminating emergencies at the AMB thermal reactors of the first stage of the Beloyarsk NPP.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2004

A variety of factors such as the pattern of intake (acute or chronic), monitoring interval and the characteristics of the radionuclides could have a significant influence on the estimates for the intake and internal dose. The relative differences of the assessed intakes based on the assumption of an acute intake to that of a chronic intake were evaluated by using the predicted bioassay quantity in the whole body or organs for an acute and chronic intake through the inhalation of $^{125}$ I, $^{137}$ C, $^{235}$ U with the AMAD of 1 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ for the monitoring intervals of 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 360 days, respectively, The relative difference of the assessed intakes based on the intake pattern is affected by the monitoring interval, radionuclide and absorption type, but the particle size has little influence on the difference of the assessed intakes based on the intake pattern. The maximum monitoring interval, which is defined as the monitoring interval that the relative difference of the assessed intakes based on the assumption of an acute intake to that of a chronic intake is less than 10%, is 60 d for $^{125}$ I with Type F, 180 d for $^{137}$ C with Type F, 90 d for $^{235}$ U with Type M, and 360 d for $^{235}$ U with Type S. It was concluded that an intake pattern has little influence on the estimates of the assessed intake in the case where the monitoring interval is shorter than the maximum monitoring interval for each radionuclide.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.377-384
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• 2015

A survey of the artificial radionuclides in rivers and lakes was conducted to investigate their levels in surface water. Water samples were collected at 60 points and analyzed by gamma-ray spectrometry with a measurement time of 10,000 seconds for ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, and ¹³¹I. The obained values were lower than MDA for all points, except one point for ¹³¹I that was 0.533±0.058 Bq/L. ¹³¹I is known as a radioactive material that occurs frequently in sewage treatment plants. Because it is often used for medical treatments and subject to spreading into the environment due to the excretion from the patients. For the point where ¹³¹I was detected, we conducted additional investigation on the upstream river point and the effluent points of nearby sewage treatment plant to find the source of ¹³¹I. ¹³¹I was not detected at the upstream points of one of the upstream sewage treatment plants but found at the downstream points with the level being 0.257±0.034 to 0.799±0.051 Bq/L, proving the sewage treatment plant was the ¹³¹Isource.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.73-90
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• 2004

The Reg. Guide 1.109 model was reviewed against its applicability to calculating radionuclide concentrations in agricultural products for operating nuclear facilities and an improved method was proposed. The model was so modified that the radionuclides deposited since the start of operation could be considered in assessing the root uptake. Translocation factors were introduced in the equation for calculating the concentrations in edible parts due to direct plant deposition. Values specific to Korea were set up for the input parameters of the modified model. The concentrations of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;^{90}Sr\;and\;^{137}Cs$ in rice seeds, Chinese cabbage and radish root were calculated for various hypothetical deposition histories using the Reg. Guide 1.109 model and the modified model with parameter values in the guide and those specific to Korea put in alternately. Through comparisons among the results, it could be expected that the use of the modified model with the input of parameter values specific to Korea would result In a more resonable and realistic assessment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.387-398
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• 2003

For reference human intrusion scenarios constructed in previous study, a probabilistic safety assessment to derive the radionuclide concentration limits for the low- and intermediate- level radioactive waste disposal facility is conducted. Statistical approach by the Latin Hypercube Sampling method is introduced and new assumptions about the disposal facility system are examined and discussed. In our previous study of deterministic approach, the post construction scenarios appeared as most limiting scenario to derive the radionuclide concentration limits. Whereas, in this statistical approach, the post drilling and the post construction scenarios are mutually competing for the scenario selection according to which radionuclides are more important in safety assessment context. Introduction of new assumption shows that the post drilling scenario can play an important role as the limiting scenario instead of the post-construction scenario. When we compare the concentration limits between the previous and this study, concentrations of radionuclides such as Nb-94, Cs-137 and alpha-emitting radionuclides show elevated values than the case of the previous study. Remaining radionuclides such as Sr-90, Tc-99 I-129, Ni-59 and Ni-63 show lower values than the case of the previous study.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.4159-4166
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• 2023

Laser decontamination of radioactive surfaces is an innovative technology. Our contribution to improving this technology includes studies on laser beam decontamination with a pulsed laser of an average power of 150 W, equipped with a hand guided working head. Our investigations are focused on metallic surfaces typical in nuclear power plants, such as stainless steel, bright and rusted mild steel, galvanized steel, and painted steel. As typical nuclides of contaminated surfaces we chose Co-60 and Cs-137, the most frequently occurring nuclides in many nuclear plant components; Sr-85 as a representative of Sr-90, the potentially most harmful fission nuclide; and Am-241 as a representative of the minor alpha-radiation emitting actinides. Here, we present our results of decontamination and recovery ratios. Decontamination ratios of 90-100% were achieved on different surfaces.