• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.252-261
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• 2017

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) increase radiation exposure to the public as these materials are concentrated through artificial manufacturing processes by human activities. This study focuses on the development of a method for the quantitative analysis of $^{232}Th$, $^{235}U$, and $^{238}U$ in building materials. The accuracy and precision of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for determination of digestion processes was evaluated for certified reference materials (CRMs) digested using various mixed acid (e.g., aqua regia, hydrofluoric acid, and perchloric acid) digestions and a $LiBO_2$ fusion method. The method validation results reveal that a $LiBO_2$ fusion and $Fe(OH)_3$ co-precipitation should be applied as the optimal sample digestion process for the quantitative analysis of radionuclides in building materials. The radioactivity of $^{232}Th$, $^{235}U$, and $^{238}U$ in a total of 51 building material (e.g., board, brick, cement, paint, tile, and wall paper) samples was quantitatively analyzed using an established process. Finally, the values of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ radioactivity were comprehensively compared with those from the indirect method using ${\gamma}$-spectrometry.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.359-367
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• 2016

Background: As new legislation has come into force implementing radiation safety management for the use of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), it is necessary to establish a rapid and accurate measurement technique. Measurement of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ using conventional methods encounter the most significant difficulties for pretreatment (e.g., purification, speciation, and dilution/enrichment) or require time-consuming processes. Therefore, in this study, the applicability of ED-XRF as a non-destructive and rapid screening method was validated for raw materials and by-product samples. Materials and Methods: A series of experiments was conducted to test the applicability for rapid screening of XRF measurement to determine activity of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ based on certified reference materials (e.g., soil, rock, phosphorus rock, bauxite, zircon, and coal ash) and NORM samples commercially used in Korea. Statistical methods were used to compare the analytical results of ED-XRF to those of certified values of certified reference materials (CRM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results and Discussion: Results of the XRF measurement for $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ showed under 20% relative error and standard deviation. The results of the U-test were statistically significant except for the case of U in coal fly ash samples. In addition, analytical results of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ in the raw material and by-product samples using XRF and the analytical results of those using ICP-MS ($R^2{\geq}0.95$) were consistent with each other. Thus, the analytical results rapidly derived using ED-XRF were fairly reliable. Conclusion: Based on the validation results, it can be concluded that the ED-XRF analysis may be applied to rapid screening of radioactivities ($^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$) in NORM samples.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.460-467
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• 2007

Dose rate conversion factor was calculated to estimate the absorbed effective annual doses for soils for the beta-rays and gamma-rays, which were emitted from $^{238,235}U$, $^{232}Th$, and $^{40}K$ isotopes. The most recent data of the emitted energies per decay, half-lifes, and branching ratios, which were obtained from National Nuclear Data Center, were used. When this factor and the effective annual doses for the beta-rays and the gamma-rays of natural radioisotopes were compared with those of Aitken, these of $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$ and $^{40}K$ are estimated to have good agreements but a large difference is shown in this for $^{235}U$. Through the calculations of effective annual doses by using these factor and the measurements of gamma-ray spectra for soils, which were extracted from prehistoric remains (Mansuri) on Osong, Chungchengbuk-do, The annual effective doses were obtained to be 3.8~5.9 mGy/yr. Also, when these doses including decay elements upper Rn were compared with those on all isotopes, the differences within 9~30 % were obtained. The analysis method of the annual effective doses for the beta-rays and the gamma-rays of the natural isotopes of soils was established by this dose rate conversion factor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2016.10a
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• pp.231-232
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• 2016

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.149-160
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• 2018

A large number of functional living products are being produced for eco-friendly or health-promoting purposes. In the manufacturing process, such products could be adulterated with raw materials with high radioactivity, such as monazite and tourmaline. Thus, it is essential to manage raw materials and products closely related to the public living. For proper management, an accurate radioactivity data of the processed products are needed. Therefore, it is essential to develop a rapid and validated analytical method. In this study, the concentration of the radioactive $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ in building materials (e.g., tile, cement, paint, wall paper, and gypsum board) and living products (e.g., health products, textiles, and minerals) were determined and compared by ED-XRF and ICP-MS. By comparing the results of both methods, we confirmed the applicability of the rapid screening and precise analysis of ED-XRF and ICP-MS. In addition, $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ levels were relatively lower in building materials than in living products. Particularly, $^{232}Th$ content in 6 of 47 living products exceeded (maximum $8.2Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$) the standard limit of $^{232}Th$ content in raw material ($1.0Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$).

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.248-257
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• 1994

Growth rates of two manganese nodules collected in the Korea Deep Ocean Study (KODOS-89) site in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zones in the central Equatorial Pacific have been estimated by employing uranium-series disequilibrium techniques to investigate the geochemical processes leading to the formation of deep-sea nodules. the growth rates estimated from the profiles of excess /SUP 230/Th activities and ratios of excess /SUP 230/Th to /SUP 232/Th to /SUP 232/Th are in the order of a few millimeters per million years. Growth rates at bottom-side of nodules are 2-3 times faster than those at top-sides. Diagenetic supply of manganese could explain the faster growth at the bottom-side of nodules.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2018

The U-Pb isotopic and rare earth element compositions of zircon were measured using a SHRIMP from a tonalitic gneiss sample DE43 in Daeijak Island, central Korea. Zircon crystals, up to ${\sim}300{\mu}m$ in diameter, rarely contain thin overgrowth rims. In contrast to Paleoproterozoic cores, the $^{206}Pb/^{238}U$ ages of $256{\pm}23Ma(1{\sigma})$, and $221{\pm}7Ma(1{\sigma})$ were yielded from two spot analyses on the overgrowth rims of zircon. The rims are geochemically characterized by low Th/U ratios (<0.01) and strongly depleted light rare earth elements. The Permian-Triassic apparent ages of zircon are consistent with the $^{208}Pb/^{232}Th$ ages dated from allanite ($227{\pm}7Ma(t{\sigma})$) in the same sample within uncertainties, indicating an equilibrium growth of allanite and zircon at ~227 Ma. On the other hand, the younger $^{208}Pb/^{232}Th$ and $^{206}Pb/^{238}U$ ages ($213{\pm}4Ma(t{\sigma})$ and $186{\pm}9Ma(t{\sigma})$, respectively) of allanite may result from Pb loss due to the infiltration of alkali fluids from Late Triassic and Jurassic granitoids nearby.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.219-224
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• 2009

We investigated the amounts of radiation exposure from $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$, and $^{40}K$ which are three major radionuclides naturally residing in soil of the Korean peninsula. The experimental results showed that the concentrations of the radionuclides were 15.77$\pm$7.27, 290.05$\pm$73.92 and 750.30$\pm$165.38 Bq/kg respectively. The absorbed dose rate based on the measured concentrations was 213.76$\pm$46.37 nGy/hr, while the spatial gamma absorbed dose rate measured in the same region was 123.90$\pm$19.18 nGy/hr. The effective dose rate was 0.26 mSv/yr, which is significantly higher than the world average effective dose rate 0.07 mSv/yr provided by the UNSCEAR.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 1994

This study concerns about the measurement and the investigation of environmental radiation characteristics which the components and the distribution of exposure rates by terrestrial y-rays in Taegu area. $4^{'}{\phi}{\times}4^{'}$ NaI(T1) scintillation detector with a multichannel analyzer was used in the measurement of y-rays as a part of in-situ spectrometry at twenty eight different locations in this area. The conversion into the exposure rate from the measured ${\gamma}-ray$ spectrum has been carried out leading to a net exposure rate and component ones by $^{40}K,\;^{238}U$ series and $^{232}Th$ series products which are known by the major parts in the terrestrial ${\gamma}-rays$ generally. As a result, the average exposure rate by the terrestrial ${\gamma}-rays$ in Taegu area is $9.4{\mu}R/h$ and the distribution of individual exposure rates shows more or less differences between these locations even after the consideration of diurnal and yearly variations which are always involved in these measurements. The component parts of exposure rates are distributed $^{40}K\;2.9{\sim}4.6{\mu}R/h,\;^{238}U$ series $1.2{\sim}3,\;1{\mu}R/h,\;^{232}Th$ series $2.5{\sim}5.0{\mu}R/h$ over the measured locations.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.288-301
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• 1995

Rates of the sedimentation and particle mixing have been estimated by applying uranium-series disequilibrium techniques to three sediment cores collected from the korea Deep Ocean Study (KODOS) site between the clarion and Clipperton Fracture Zones (CCFZ) of the Equatorial Pacific. Sedimentation rates based on the profiles of excess /SUP 230/Th activity and /SUP 230/ Th/SUB xs//SUP 232/ Th activity ratios at the southeastern part of the study area were estimated to be in the order of a few millimeters per thousand year, while at the northwestern part a factor of ten lower. Excess activities of /SUP 230/Th and /SUP 230/Th ratios showed intervals of constant values in the upper part of the sediment cores, probably generated by biological particle mixing. A "two-box" advection-diffusion steady state mixing model was employed in order to estimate particle mixing rates in the upper and the lower layers, based on the distribution profiles of excess /SUP 210/Pb activities. Particle mixing coefficients were estimated to be in the order of 10$^1$ cm$^2$/y in the upper layer and 10/SUP -1/-10/SUP 0/ cm$^2$/y in the lower layer.