• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.61-64
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• 2014

Radioactive materials are in use and have many applications from the generation of electricity to the purposes of research, industry and medicine such as diagnosis and therapy. In the course of their use some of radioactive substances may be discharged into the environment from facilities using the unsealed radioactive materials, which are main artificial sources occurring the public exposure. Discharges are in the form of gases, particles or liquids. This paper provides procedures to estimate the level of the public exposure based on the conservative assumptions and simple calculations in the facility using unsealed liquid sources. They consist of two processes; (1) to calculate maximum concentration of gaseous effluents discharged through the exhaust pipe and average concentration of liquid effluents discharged through the drain of the storage tank, (2) to compare each of them to numerical guidances for the discharges of radioactive gaseous and liquid effluents mentioned in the related notification. For this purpose followings are assumed properly; daily usage, form and dispersion rate of radionuclides, daily amount of radioactive liquid waste and exhaust and drainage equipment. The procedures are readily applicable to evaluate environmental effects by planned effluent discharges from facilities using the unsealed radioactive materials. In addition they may be utilized to obtain practical requirements for radiation safety control necessary for the reductions of the public exposure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.562-571
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• 2003

A series of factors such as sampling, pretreatment measurement, volume estimation which induces uncertainty of the calculated radioactivity in liquid effluent released from a nuclear power plant were analyzed. It is innately impossible to estimate exact error of the calculated radioactivity, since most of the input parameters are determined by a single measurement and true value of the released radioactivity cannot be known. In this paper, a systematic model to calculate uncertainty of the released liquid radioactivity was developed based upon the guidance report published by the ISO in 1993, and the model was applied to a set of hypothetical batch release conditions. As a result, the Priority of each input parameter was turned out to be (1) wastewater volume, (2) sample volume, and (3) measured radioactivity of the sample. In addition, probability distribution of the released radioactivity was simulated by Monte Carlo method combining the probability distribution of each input parameter It was shown that the radioactivity released to the environment, which has been reported as a single value, has a certain form of probability distribution.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.129-137
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• 2012

In the 2007 recommendation, the ICRP evolves from the previous process-based system of practices and intervention to the system based on the characteristics of radiation exposure situation. In addition, ICRP recommends the application of source-related dose constraints under the planned exposure situation as a tool for the optimization of protection to workers and the member of public. In this study, the analysis of radioactive effluents from Korean nuclear power plants and the public dose assessment were conducted in reference with the use of dose constraints. Finally, the measure to implement the dose constraints for the member of public was suggested taking into account multi-unit reactors operating at a single site in Korea.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.267-278
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• 1985

Some kinds of methods have been applied to regulate the exposure doses by the radioactive effluents from nuclear power plants. The essential one is primary dose equivalent limit recommended by the ICRP. When the primary limit cannot be applied directly for regulation, there have been dose equivalent index in case of external exposure, or maximum permissible concentration, annual limit on intake, derived air concentration and maximum permissible body burden in case of internal exposure. But the derived limit is required from the viewpoint of discharge, for those values are inadequate to control discharge rate directly. This study was carried out to derive the release limit for the Wolsung nuclear power plant by the concentration factor method. This method is based on the assumption of steady state transfer between environment compartments.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2008

Purpose: In general, We discharged radioactive wastewater and sewages less than $8.1{\times}10^{-13}$ Ci/ml in a exclusive water-purifier tank. Our hospital operating three exclusive water-purifier tank for radioactive wastewater and sewages of 60 tons capacity respectively. In order to meet the criteria it need a enough decay more than 125 days per each exclusive tank. However, recently we fell into the serious situation that decay period was decreased remarkably, owing to the wastewater amount increased rapidly by enlarge the therapy ward. For that reason, in this article, I'd like to say the way that reducing of radioactive wastewater and sewages rationally. Materials and Methods: From January, 2006 to October, four hundred and two cases were analyzed. They were all hospitalized during 3 days and 2 nights. We calculated the average amount of water used (include toilet water used, shower water used, washstand water used, $\cdots$), each exclusive water-purifier tank's decay period, as well as try to search the increased factors about water-purifier tank inflow flux by re-analysis of the procedure of radioisotope therapy step by step. Results: We could increase each exclusive water-purifier tank's decay period from 84 days to 130 days through the improvement about following cause: (1) Improvement of conventional toilet stool for excessive water waste $\rightarrow$ Replacement of water saving style toilet stool (2) Prevention of unnecessary shower and wash (3) Stop the diuretics taking during hospitalization (4) Analysis of relationship between water intakes and residual dose of body (5) Education about outside toilet utilization before the administration (6) Changed each water-purifier tank's maximum level from85% to 90% Conclusion: The originality of our efforts are not only software but hardware performance improvements. Incidentally the side of software's are change of therapy procedures and protocols, the side of hardware's are replacement of water saving style toilet stool and change of each water-purifier tank's maximum level. Thus even if a long lapse of time, problem such as return to the former conditions may not happen. Besides, We expect that our trials become a new reasonable model in similar situation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.101-104
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• 2003

In this study based on the mass transfer theory, experiments for the evaporation rates depending on various conditions were carried out through the operation of the existing Natural Evaporation Facility in KAERI. Evaporation media were made of the cotton and polyester. Air circulation in the facility was forced by exhausting fans. The evaporation rate and the decontamination factor were calculated by the result of experiment. The evaporation rate increased as the flow rate of air supply, the feed rate of liquid waste, and the temperature of supplied air increased. As for the humidity of supplied air, the evaporation rate was getting higher as the humidity was getting lower. As the result of this study, operation conditions of the Natural Evaporation Facility are optimized as follows : The air temperature above $8^{\circ}C$, the air humidity below 70%, the air flow rate 1.14-1.47 m/sec, and the liquid waste feed rate $4.6{\ell}/hr\cdotm^2$. The decontamination factor and the radioactivity are $5.1{\times}10^3$and $4.7{\times}10^{-13}{\mu}Ci/\textrm{m}{\ell}$ respectively, at the above mentioned optimum operation conditions. The air factor in the Dalton's equation for evaporation was determined from results of experiment on the temperature, the humidity, and the flow rate of supplied air as following : $[\textit{Eh}=(0.018 + 0.0141\textitv) {\delta}textitH]$

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.130-134
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• 1993

Radiostrontium is one of fallouts. It can be absorbed through intestine and causing radiation injury to bones. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the inhibitory effect of 10% chitosan (water soluble and insoluble) and 10% alginate (water soluble and insoluble) on radiostrontium adsorption. Water soluble and insoluble chitosans and alginates were given to 10 NIH male mice in each group for 7 days. At the 7th day, 74 MBq of $^{85}Sr$ were given through orogastric tube. Chitosans and alginates were given for additional 7 days. During the 7 days, radioactivities of feces were counted daily. Finally animals were sacrificed, and radioactivities of bones were counted. Fecal excretion was significantly higher in chitosan and alginate group as compared to control from the 1st day (p < 0.01). Water soluble chitosan group showed highest fecal excretion. Bony retention was significantly lower in the treated group than the control (p < 0.01). There was no difference among treated groups. In conclusion, both water soluble and insoluble chitosans and alginates were effective agents on lowering orally ingested radiostrontium ($^{85}Sr$).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2008

As the first comprehensive attempt at a national implementation, this study aims at assessing the external costs of major electricity generation technologies in Korea, particularly an evaluation of the impacts on human health resulting from exposures to atmospheric radiological emissions from nuclear power plants, and a monetary quantification of their damages. The methodology used for the assessment of the externalities of the selected fuel cycles has been developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), namely the SimPacts Model Package. The model is internationally recognized as a tool which can be applied to a wide range of fuels, different technologies and locations, for an externalities study. In this study, the relevant emissions are quantified first and then their impacts on human health are evaluated and compared. The study focused on all the nuclear power plants for the last 6 years ($2001{\sim}2006$) in Korea. With respect to nuclear power, the impact analysis only focuses on a power generation, however the front- and back-end nuclear fuel cycles are not included, namely uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, reprocessing, conditioning, etc., because these facilities are not present in Korea. The analysis results show that nuclear power in general, generates low external costs. The highest damage costs from the nuclear power plants among the 4 sites in Korea were estimated to be 3.9 mills/MWh, which is about 1/20th of the result for a similar case study conducted in the U.K., implemented through the ExternE project. This difference is largely due to the number of radionuclides included in the study and the amount of released radioactive emissions based on up-to-date information in Korea. In this study, the sensitivities of the major factors for nuclear power plants were also calculated. The analysis indicates that there was around a ${\pm}3%$ damage costs variation to a ${\pm}15%$ change of the reference population density and a ${\pm}1%$ damage cost variation to a $1{\sim}30$ meters change of the effective release height, respectively. These sensitive calculations show that there is only a minor difference when the reference costs are compared.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.334-341
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• 2001

Purpose: Ascorbic acid us known to act as an antioxidant. Therefore, it can be used in increasing the efficiency of radiochemical labeling of Technetium-99m setamibi by inhibition of oxidation of $Sn^{2+}$ at low concentration. We intended to estimate the efficiency of radiochemical labeling and the stability of the newly formed formulation when ascorbic acid was added to a commercial kit. Materials and Methods: Synthesis of sestamibi was performed according to Dong-A's patent procedure (No.10-2001-0012877). First, we undertook a study to evaluate the efficiency of radiochemical labeling of sestamibi containing ascorbic acid. The stability of the vials was assessed using either $7.5{\mu}g\;or\;75{\mu}g$ of ascorbic acid, added to commercial vials under the accelerated condition(Temp : $40^{\circ}C{\pm}2^{\circ}C$, Relative humidity : $75{\pm}5%$). Results: Sestamibi was synthesized in overall 35-40% yield over 5 steps from a commercially available methallyl chloride as a starling material. When ascorbic acid was added, the efficiency of radiochemical labeling was maintained compared to the vial with no ascorbic acid. The accelerated test showed that the addition of ascorbic acid inhibited the oxidation of $Sn^{2+}$ ion by antioxidation mechanism. Also, the efficiency of radiochemical labeling of this vial after 9 months was nearly the same as the starting point. Therefore, the storage period of the kit is likely to be extended. Taken together, it suggests that the addition of ascorbic acid as a stabilizer is desirable. Conclusion: To increase the stability of a sestamibi cold kit, it is desirable to add ascorbic acid as a stabilizer to the commercial formulation.