• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.157-170
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• 2008

Purpose: This prospective study was conducted to reveal the haematological index change by low level radiation exposure in radiological environment our hospital workers. Materials and Method: We gathered the cumulative dose by Thermoluminenscent Dosimeters (TLD) over 9-yr period and examined hematological index counts change (RBC, Hb, Platelet, WBC, Monocyte, Lymphocyte, Neutrophilic, Basophilic, Eosinophilic) both occupational workers and controls. Of a total 370 occupational workers and 335 controls were compared. Results: This analysis has led to the following general observations 1) The average cumulative dose in male and female were $9.65{\pm}15.2\;mSv$, $4.82{\pm}5.55\;mSv$ respectively. 2) In both male and female, there were very low relationship between occupation period and cumulative dose (r< ${\pm}0.25$). 3) Occupation period was more increased, in male, WBC counts decreased and increased workers, RBC counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). In female, WBC counts decreased and increased workers and W-eosino counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.01). 4) Cumulative dose was more increased, in male, W-Lympho counts decreased workers and Platelet counts deceased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). In female, W-lympho counts decreased workers and RBC counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). Conclusions: We can find some kinds of blood index abnormal distribution in occupational radiation workers by comparing with controls. Occupational workers cannot avoid radiation exposure, in spite of the control it. Actually low level radiation adverse effect occurred not dose but probability. So workers must always try to reduce exposure by ourselves, furthermore as long as possible the government should provide rapidly that national system on radiation control for worker's health.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2016.10a
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• pp.477-478
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• 2016

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2005

Since the safety of nuclear power plant has been becoming a big social issue the exposure dose of radiation for workers has been one of the important factors concerning the safety problem. The existing calculation methods of radiation dose used in the planning of radiation work assume that dose rate does not depend on the location within a work space thus the variation of exposure dose by different work path is not considered. In this study, a modified numerical method was presented to estimate the exposure dose during radiation work in radwaste storage considering the effects of the distance between a worker and sources. And a new numerical algorithm was suggested to search the optimal work path minimizing the exposure dose in pre-defined work space with given radiation sources. Finally, a virtual work simulation program was developed to visualize the exposure dose of radiation doting radiation works in radwaste storage and provide the capability of simulation for work planning. As a numerical example, a test radiation work was simulated under given space and two radiation sources, and the suggested optimal work path was compared with three predefined work paths. The optimal work path obtained in the study could reduce the exposure dose for the given test work. Based on the results, tile developed numerical method and simulation program could be useful tools in the planning of radiation work.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.3347-3352
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• 2010

It is recommended that the door of control room is closed during radiography to protect a radiologic technologist. However, for those patients such as of emergency or pediatrics, the door must be kept open unavoidably to apply immediate medical administration and treatment on the potential case of emergency which could be happened through the course of radiography. In addition, it could be efficient by reducing patients waiting time when the door is open for a general case. This study was conducted to evaluate practical exposure rate to a radiologic technologist when the door is open during the radiography, and to find out the ways to minimize radiation exposure and to increase the efficiency simultaneously. Measuring practical exposure rate was fulfilled with glass dosimeter, and it was 2.02 mGy/week at the location of radiologic technologist under the condition that the door is open during the radiography, which was about 2.3 times higher than the 100 mR/week. It means that the considerable amount of scattered rays through the door opening, and increase exposure rate at the radiologic technologist. Hence we confirmed that a radiologic technologist probably overexposed if the door is open during the radiography. It was also confirmed by the Monte Carlo simulation that the exposure rate could be reduced up to approximately 1/100 by change only the door opening direction. In conclusion, since the proper door opening direction provides same shielding effect whether it is open or close, the door opening direction need to be considered when it is installed at radiography facilities.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.227-235
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• 1997

Cytogenetic studies were performed in peripheral blood lymphocytes from hospital workers occupationally exposed to low doses of radiation (0.30 - 40.07mSv). The workers were divided into three groups according to their job area : 18 diagnostic radiology, 17 therapeutic radiology, and 16 nuclear medicine. The control group consisted of 49 non-radiation workers with no history of exposure to radiation. A higher percentage of cells with aberration(1.275%) was observed in the workers compared to the controls(0.677%) and the difference was statistically significant(p<0.001). The frequency of chromosomal aberration was $0.706{\times}10^{-2}$/cell in the exposed and $0.344{\times}10^{-2}$/cell in the control(p<0.05). Chromosomal exchange frequency was $0.083{\times}10^{-2}$/cell in the control vs $0.245{\times}10^{-2}$/cell in the workers. There was no evidence of significant increase of chromosome aberration related to age or to the duration of employment. The frequency of chromosomal exchange in workers of nuclear medicine was $0.313{\times}10^{-2}$/cell, which was significantly higher than in the control($0.083{\times}10^{-2}$/cell) or other working groups: therapeutic radiology($0.265{\times}10^{-2}$/cell), and diagnostic radiology($0.167{\times}10^{-2}$/cell). No dose-effect relation was found between chromosome aberration and total cumulative doses, recent 5 yr, recent 2 yr cumulative dose. But in case of last 1 yr cumulative dose, dose-dependant increase was observed when controls were considered(p<0.05). The radiation dose which workers have received was much lower than the maximum permissible dose, but there was a significant difference in the frequency of chromosome aberration between occupationally exposed workers and control. So, it is clear that chromosome aberration is a quite sensitive indicator of radiation exposure and it can be detected at very low dose level of occupational exposure.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2000

Purpose : This investigation was peformed in order to improve the health care of radiation workers, to predict a risk, to minimize the radiation exposure hazard to them and for them to realize radiation exposure danger when they work in radiation area in hospital. Methods and Materials : The documentations checked regularly for personal radiation exposure in four university hospitals in Pusan city in Korea between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1997 were analyzed. There were 458 persons in this documented but 111 persons who worked less then one year were excluded and only 347 persons were included in this study. Results : The average of yearly radiation exposure of 347 persons was 1.52$\pm$1.35 mSv. Though it was less than 50mSv, the limitaion of radiation in law but 125 (36%) people received higher radiation exposure than non-radiation workers. Radiation workers under 30 year old have received radiation exposure of mean 1.87$\pm$1.01 mSv/year, mean 1.22$\pm$0.69 mSv between 31 and 40 year old and mean 0.97$\pm$0.43 mSv/year over 41year old (p<0.001). Men received mean 1.67$\pm$1.54 mSv/year were higher than women who received mean 1.13$\pm$0.61 mSv/year (p<0.01). Radiation exposure in the department of nuclear modicine department in spite of low energy sources is higher than other departments that use radiations in hospital (p<0.05). And the workers who received mean 3.59$\pm$1.81 msv/year in parts of management of radiation sources and injection of sources to patient receive high radiation exposure in nuclear medicine department (p<0.01). In department of diagnostic radiology high radiation exposure is in barium enema rooms where workers received mean 3.74$\pm$1.74 mSv/year and other parts where they all use fluoroscopy such as angiography room of mean 1.17$\pm$0.35 mSv/year and upper gastrointestinal room of mean 1.74$\pm$1.34 mSv/year represented higher radiation exposure than average radiation exposure in diagnostic radiology (p<0.01). Doctors and radiation technologists received higher radiation exposure of each mean 1.75$\pm$1.17 mSv/year and mean 1.50$\pm$1.39 mSv/year than other people who work in radiation area in hospital (p<0.05). Especially young doctors and technologists have the high opportunity to receive higher radiation exposure. Conclusions : The training and education of radiation workers for radiation exposure risks are important and it is necessary to rotate worker in short period in high risk area. The hospital management has to concern health of radiation workers more and to put an effort to reduce radiation exposure as low as possible in radiation areas in hospital.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.247-255
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• 2009

This study aims to provide basic data for establishing the safety and health plan by investigating the exposure conditions in the facilities registering business about handling radiations and radioactive isotopes in Korea. dose levels(working space, worker location) of the workers in 153 facilities were measured using surveymeter, and individual exposure concentration[(shallow dose(SD), depth dose(DD)] in 27 facilities using thermal luminescence dosimeter(TLD). In accordance with the measurement results by business type[fire fighting prevention business(FFPB, n=10), financial insurance business(FIB, n=3) and other facilities(n=140)] using surveymeter, those three business type groups showed difference (p<0.000). Dose levels of worker location for FFPB and FIB were significantly higher than 10.0 ${\mu}Sv$/hr, the allowable standard for radiations and radioactive isotopes, and they were higher 109.3 times(p<0.000) and 187.5 times(p<0.000) than those in other facilities. The concentration of TLD[FFPB(n=10), other facility (n=17)] in DD of FFPB was significantly higher than that in other facility(p=0.05). In accordance with the analysis result on relationship between surveymeter and TLD, the dose on working space and worker location(r=0.406, p<0.05), worker location dose and SD(r=0.453, p<0.05), worker location dose and DD(r=0.553, p<0.01), and SD and DD(r=0.927, p<0.001) had all related each other. It is urgently required to change FFPB and FIB from the facilities requiring registration for handling radiations and radioactive isotopes to the facilities that shall get permission for handling radiations and radioactive isotopes by reestablishing the legal administration area, for safety and health of radiation occupants.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.2118-2123
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• 2010

Korean individual occupational exposure control is focused on the retrospective service to the over-exposed person by the reading of personal dosimeter. Since the radiophamaceuticals using in the nuclear medicine department are uncontained radiation sources, the potential exposure at working environment is very high. Moreover, a patient remains radioactive for hours or even days after the administration of a radiopharmaceutical for diagnosis or treatment. Thus, the proper working environmental exposure control must be established and executed to protect not only the affiliated employees, but also guardians accompanying patients and temporarily visiting public from the exposure by the patients. Japanese radiation protection law regulates working environmental radiation exposure by regularly measuring and filing the environmental dose for years. This study was aimed at measuring working environmental radiation dose in the nuclear medicine department of an university hospital located in Daejeon, Korea. We measured the accumulation radiation dose in air at 8 locations in the nuclear medicine department by using the same method as in Japan with glass dosimeters. The highest dose rate, 0.23 mSv per month, was measured at the waiting room, and the second one is at reception desk. Even though the doses were lower than the Korean constraint dose rate (0.3 mSv/week) at the boundary of the radiation controlled area, it was over the dose limit of public (1 mSv/y) and environment (0.25 mSv/y). Conclusionally, it was found that the new or additional procedure was necessary to less the exposure dose to the receptionist and guardians by the environmental radiation dose in the nuclear medicine department.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2014

This study was conducted to propose medical radioactive waste management methods by background factors of radioactive workers, their awareness of safety management and reduce the difficulty of self-disposal. A population of 102 radiotechnologist who work at hospital in Busan was the subject of this study and a survey was conducted to them. the analysis for the collected data used SPSS/PC+Win13 version and one-way, ANOVA was carried out of verify differences between the groups. The result showed that most of workers had correct awareness of radioactive waste management. Also, about the difficulty of self-disposal, legal procedures were mentioned most often, and as efficient improvement of management methods is concerned, changing the awareness of safety management and disposal was proposed. According to this study, the right way of managing medical radioactive waste is to change the awareness of radioactive workers by reinforcing regular training.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.237-241
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• 2013

The gamma energy distributions at the major working places during refueling outage of Korean PWR nuclear power plants were measured. In order to estimate the dose reduction effect of a lead vest, Monte Carlo calculation method was used. For the simulations, the MIRD-V phantom with a lead vest was formed and exposed to the measured radiation field. The average measured gamma energy is lower than that of standard which is generally applied to radiation protection procedures. For the efficient use of a lead vest and achievement of radiation protection purpose, it is necessary to estimate the energy distribution of radiation field at working places.