• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2006

Intakes of radionuclides through both inhalation and ingestion pathways may occur particularly in an incident involving unsealed radionuclides. If one assume only one intake path in this case, which is usual in routine monitoring, a significant error in the evaluated committed effective dose($E_{50}$) may result. In order to demonstrate the potential errors, variations of the resulting committed effective doses were analyzed for different fractions of the inhaled activities to the total intake of $^{241}Am$. Simulated bioassav measurements for the lungs, urine and feces were generated based on the biokinetic model and data of the radionuclide, 5 ${\mu}m$ AMAD and absorption type M for inhalation, for various inhalation fractions. The potential errors in $E_{50}$ due to the assumption of one intake path were in the range from -100% to as large as +34,000% when the bioassays were made 3 days after the intakes. Larger errors are expected when only the feces assay is applied while inhalation intake exists. A strategy which employs two types of bioassay was proposed to reduce the error caused by a misjudgement of the intake path.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.321-325
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• 2003

The effects of AMAD, absorption type, and intake pattern were compared and analysed for the internal dose evaluation of workers who chronically inhale uranium. The committed effective doses$(E_{50})$ based on AMAD, absorption type, and intake pattern were evaluated using 3 monthly lung predicted monitoring data due to a chronic intake of uranium for 5 years. The relative error ranges of $E_{50}$ evaluated with each AMAD$(0.1{\sim}10{\mu}m)\;to\;E_{50}$ evaluated with $5{\mu}m$ AMAD were $-37.0{\sim}49.8%$, and the relative error ranges of En evaluated with Type M to $E_{50}$ evaluated with Type S were $15.9{\sim}56.6%$, and the relative error ranges of $E_{50}$ evaluated with an acute intake to $E_{50}$ evaluated with a chronic intake were $0.55{\sim}4.52%$. Thus AMAD and the absorption type affected the results of $E_{50}$, but the intake pattern didn't really affect the results of $E_{50}$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.579-583
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• 2003

This study was to compare the Intake and Committed Effective Dose(CED) due to inhalation of I-131. The Intake and CED Calculations were based on KIDAC, LUDEP, MONDAL and IMBA computer codes.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.113-124
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• 2004

A computer software program, called BIDAS (BIoassay Data Analysis Software) is developed to interpret the bioassay measurement data in terms of intakes and the committed effective dose using the human respiratory tract model (HRTM), gastrointestinal tract (GI-tract) model and biokinetic models currently recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) to describe the behavior of the radioactive materials within the body. The program consists of three modules; first, a database module to manage the bioassay data, second, another databasee module to store the predicted bioassay quantities of each radionuclide and finally, a computational module to estimate the intake and committed effective dose calculated with the bioassay quantity measurement values from either an acute or chronic exposure of the radionuclies within the body. This paper describes the features of the program as well as the quality assurance check results of the BIDAS software program.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2020

Removing radioactive concrete is crucial in the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. However, this process generates radioactive aerosols, exposing workers to radiation. Although large amounts of radioactive concrete are generated during decommissioning, studies on the internal exposure of workers to radioactive aerosols generated from the cutting of radioactive concrete are very limited. In this study, therefore, we calculate the internal radiation doses of workers exposed to radioactive aerosols during activities such as drilling and cutting of radioactive concrete, using previous research data. The electrical-mobility-equivalent diameter measured in a previous study was converted to aerodynamic diameter using the Newton-Raphson method. Furthermore, the specific activity of each nuclide in radioactive concrete 10 years after nuclear power plants are shut down was calculated using the ORIGEN code. Eventually, we calculated the committed effective dose for each nuclide using the IMBA software. The maximum effective dose of ¹⁵²Eu constituted 83.09% of the total dose; moreover, the five highest-ranked elements (¹⁵²Eu, ¹⁵⁴Eu, ⁶⁰Co, ²³⁹Pu, ⁵⁵Fe) constituted 99.63%. Therefore, we postulate that these major elements could be measured first for rapid radiation exposure management of workers involved in decommissioning of nuclear power plants, even if all radioactive elements in concrete are not considered.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2003

This study describes a practical method for interpretation of bioassay results of inhaled uranium to assess the committed effective doses both for chronic and acute intake situations. Organs in the body were represented by a series of mathematical compartments for analysis of the behavior of uranium in the body according to the gastrointestinal track model, respiratory track model and biokinetic model recommended by the ICRP. An analytical solutions of the system of balance equations among the compartments were obtained using the Birchall's algorithm, and the urinary excretion function and the lung retention function of uranium were obtained. An initial or total intakes by intake modes were calculated by applying excretion and retention functions to the urinary uranium concentration and the lung burden measured with a lung counter. The dose coefficients given in ICRP 78 are used to estimate the committed effective doses from the calculated intakes.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.129-136
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• 2009

During the maintenance period at Korean nuclear power plants, internal exposure of radiation workers occurred by the inhalation of $^{131}I$ released to the reactor building when primary system opened. The internal radioactivity of radiation workers contaminated by $^{131}I$ was measured using a whole body counter. Intake estimation and the calculation of committed effective dose were also conducted conforming to the guidance of internal dose assessments from publications of International Commission on Radiological Protection. Because the uptake and excretion of $^{131}I$ in a body occur quickly and $^{131}I$ is accumulated in the thyroid gland, the estimated intakes showed differences depending on the counting time after intake. In addition, since ICRP publications do not provide the intake retention fraction (IRF) for whole body of $^{131}I$, the IRF for thyroid was substitutionally used to calculate the intake and subsequently this caused more error in intake estimation. Thus, intake estimation and the calculation of committed effective dose were conducted by manual calculation. In this study, the IRF for whole body was also calculated newly and was verified. During this process, the estimated intake and committed effective dose were reviewed and compared using several computer codes for internal dosimetry.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.103-111
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• 2020

Pulling-type cutting devices, which use a diamond wire saw, have been used generally for cutting concrete structures. In this study, a pushing-type cutting device with a collection cover was developed by overcoming the disadvantages of pulling-type devices. In this device, dry or liquid methods can be selected to cool frictional heat. Operation and leakage tests of the dust generated during the dismantling of a concrete structure were carried out, confirming the suitable operation of the fabricated cutting device; the leakage rate was approximately 1.7%. For a conservative evaluation, the internal dose of workers was estimated in dismantling the core center part of biological shield concrete with a specific activity of 99.5 Bq·g^-1. The committed effective dose per worker was 0.25 mSv. The developed cutting device contributed to reducing radioactive concrete waste and minimizing worker exposure due to its easy installation. Therefore, it can be utilized as a cutting apparatus for dismantling not only reinforced concrete structures but also radioactive biological shield concrete in nuclear power plant decommissioning efforts.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.123-131
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• 2009

Purpose: We tested a sample of nuclear medicine workers at Korean healthcare institutions for internal contamination with radioactive isotopes, measuring concentrations and evaluating doses of individual exposure. Materials and Methods: The detection and measurement was performed on urine samples collected from 25 nuclear medicine workers at three large hospitals located in Seoul. Urine samples were collected once a week, 100~200 mL samples were gathered up to 6~10 times weekly. A high-purity germanium detector was used to measure gamma radiations in urine samples for the presence of radioactive isotopes. Based on the detection results, we estimated the amounts of intake and committed effective doses using IMBA software. In cases where committed effective doses could not be adequately evaluated with IMBA software, we estimated individual committed effective doses for radionuclides with a very short half life such as $^{99m}Tc$ and $^{123}I$, using the methods recommended by International Atomic Energy Agency. Results: Radionuclides detected through the analysis of urine samples included $^{99m}Tc$, $^{123}I$, $^{131}I$ and $^{201}Tl$, as well as $^{18}F$, a nuclide used in Positron Emission Tomography examinations. The committed effective doses, calculated based on the radionuclide concentrations in urine samples, ranged from 0 to 5 mSv, but were, in the majority of cases, less than 1 mSv. The committed effective dose exceeded 1 mSv in three of the samples, and all three were workers directly handling radioactive sources. No nurses were found to have a committed effective dose in excess of 1 mSv. Conclusions: To improve the accuracy of results, it may be necessary to conduct a long-term study, performed over a time span wide enough to allow the clear determination of the influence of seasonal factors. A larger sample should also help increase the reliability of results. However, as most Korean nuclear medicine workers are currently not necessary to monitored routinely for internal contamination with radionuclides. Notwithstanding, a continuous effort is recommended to reduce any unnecessary exposure to radioactive substances, even if in inconsequential amounts, by regularly surveying workplace environments and frequently monitoring atmospheric concentrations of radionuclides.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2002

Intervention levels for foodstuff restriction in a radiological emergency in Korea are suggested based on the justification and the optimization through the cost-benefit approach method from IAEA Safty Series 109 recommendation. Intervention levels are specified for three broad groups of radionuclides with similar values of committed effective dose per unit intake and specified for two broad categories of foodstuff grouped according to value per kg. It is also discussed on the applicability of revised intervention levels for foodstuff restriction.