• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.80-85
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• 2021

Radionuclides, particularly radioactive cesium (Cs), are a concern of human health in some nuclear power accidents. It could lead to a high level of intracellular accumulation due to its high radioactivity and long half-life. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a method to remove Cs from wastewater. Herein, we synthesized activated carbon fibers (ACFs) doped with Prussian blue (PB) via in situ methods. We classified samples by their preparation method as either physical (PB-ACF-A) or physicochemical (PB-ACF-B) syntheses for comparison. The PB-ACF-B sample showed a significant surface loss compared to PB-ACF-A but a better ¹³³Cs adsorption capacity. All samples fit well to Langmuir isotherms and the values of qmax were directly correlated to the amount of PB on the surface of the ACFs. Adsorption characteristics were further confirmed by the calculated free energy, enthalpy, and entropy.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.3-8
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• 2013

Collision cell technology-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (CCT-ICP-MS) was used to measure the concentrations of approximately 19 elements associated with airborne PM2.5 samples that were collected from a roadside sampling station in Daejeon, Korea. Standard reference material (SRM 2783, air particulate on filter media) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology was used for the quality assurance of CCT-ICP-MS. The elemental concentrations were compared statistically with the certified (or recommended) values. The patterns of distribution were clearly distinguished between elements with their concentrations ranging over four orders of magnitude. If compared in terms of enrichment factors, it was found that toxic trace elements (e.g., Sb, Se, Cd, As, Zn, Pb, and Cu) of anthropogenic origin are much more enriched in PM2.5 samples of the study site. To the contrary, the results of the correlation analysis showed that PM2.5 concentrations can exhibit more enhanced correlations with the elements (e.g., Fe, K, Si, and Ti) arising from earth's crust. The findings of strong correlations between PM2.5 and the elements of crustal origin may be directly comparable with the dominant role of those species by constituting a major fraction of even PM2.5 as well as PM10 at the roadside area.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2010

The gaseous $^{222}Rn$ concentration at the level of clouds was estimated by using the wet scavenging model of its decay products with the observed data of environmental radiation at the ground. And the origin of the $^{222}Rn$ was also discussed. The estimation was done for a precipitation event on Dec. 26-27, 2003, when a large increase of the radiation was observed in Tokai-mura in Ibaraki, Japan. From a backward trajectory analysis, the origin of $^{222}Rn$ atoms for that event was traced back to the northeastern part of China, and it was expected that the large amount of $^{222}Rn$ emitted in the northeastern part of China was transported to Tokai-mura by the Eurasian continental air mass.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.10 no.E
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• pp.299-302
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• 1994

At a nuclear power plant, environmental radioactivity monitoring is routine work for the radiation safety management For the environmental monitoring of tritium($^3$H) activity in water sampled liquid scintillation counting( LSC) method is applied to measure low- energy beta activity from tritium in the samples. The $^3$H activity is measured using the BECKMAN 5801 system at the KRISS( Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science) for evaluating the lower limits of detection( LLD) of $^3$H measurement and the measuring capability of low-level $^3$H activity at four nuclear Power Plant sites. The LSC systems used for low-level $^3$H activity measurements at the nuclear Power Plants are confirmed to satisfy throughout an intercomparison study under the experimental arrangements by the KRISS.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.373-378
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• 2011

Our aim was to investigate the genotoxicity of ambient air in the Krak$\acute{o}$w area after Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident and compare with results from Chernobyl fallout. For the detection of ambient air genotoxicity the technique for screening gene mutation frequency in somatic cells of the $Tradescantia$ stamen hairs ($Trad$-SH assay) was used. Since 11th of March 2011 (Fukushima NPP accident), several pots containing at least 15 shoots of bioindicating plants were exposed to ambient air at 2 sites in the Krak$\acute{o}$w surrounding area, one in the city center, and about 100 pots in a control site (in the glasshouse of the Institute of Nuclear Physics) Continuous screening of mutations was performed. Progenies of 371,090 cells exposed were analyzed. Mutation frequency obtained in the first 10 days has shown a mean control level (GMF*100=$0.06{\pm}0.01$). At scoring period related to influence of a potential Fukushima fallout, a significant increase of gene mutation frequencies above the control level was observed at each site in the range, 0.10~0.33 depending on the location, (mean value for all sites GMF*100=$0.19{\pm}0.05$) that was associated with a strong expression of toxic effects. In the reported studies following the Chernobyl NPP accident monitoring $in$ $situ$ of the ambient air genotoxicity was performed in the period since April $29^{th}$ till June $3^{rd}$ 1986 also with Trad-SH bioindicator. In general, mutation frequency increases due to Chernobyl fallout(GMF*100=$0.43{\pm}0.02$) were corresponding to fluctuation of radioactivity in the air reported from physical measures, and to published reports about increase in chromosome aberration levels. Although, recent data obtained from monitoring of the ambient air quality in the Krak$\acute{o}$w and surroundings are lower when compared to results reported after Chernobyl NPP accident, though results express a significant increase above the control level and also are corresponding with increased air radioactivity reported from physical measurements. Statistically significant in comparison to control increase in gene mutation rates and more prolonged than that after Chernobyl fallout increase of GMF was observed during the period following the Fukushima NPP failure.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.1626-1632
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• 2019

Monitoring of environmental radioactivity is essential for ensuring the radiological safety of residents who live near nuclear power plants. Ulsan, South Korea, is surrounded by 16 nuclear power plants, the highest density in the country. In addition, the city contains facilities for conducting radiological nondestructive testing and using radioisotopes for medical purposes. It makes the confirmation of radiological safety particularly necessary. In this study, sampling points were selected based on regional characteristics, and surface water samples were pretreated and analyzed for gross beta and gamma radiation levels. In addition, the distribution of the city's gamma dose rate was determined using a mobile monitoring system and distribution visualization program. The results showed that there is no effect on the gross beta and gamma nuclides of artificial radionuclides, and the gamma dose rate of the entire region did not exceed the environmental radiation level in South Korea overall, confirming the radiological safety of the city.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.1355-1363
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• 2018

Many radionuclides exist in normal environment and artificial radionuclides also can be detected. The radionuclides ($^{131}I$) are widely used for labeling compounds and radiation therapy. In Korea, the radionuclide ($^{131}I$) is produced at the Radioisotope Production Facility (RIPF) at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon. The residents around the RIPF assume that $^{131}I$ detected in environmental samples is produced from RIPF. To ensure the safety of the residents, the radioactive concentration of $^{131}I$ near the RIPF was investigated by monitoring environmental samples along the Gap River. The selected geographical places are near the nuclear installation, another possible location for $^{131}I$ detection, and downstream of the Gap River. The first selected places are the "front gate of KAERI", and the "Donghwa bridge". The second selected place is the sewage treatment plant. Therefore, the Wonchon bridge is selected for the upstream of the plant and the sewage treatment plant is selected for the downstream of the plant. The last selected places are the downstream where the two paths converged, which is Yongshin bridge (in front of the cogeneration plant). In these places, environmental samples, including sediment, fish, surface water, and aquatic plants, were collected. In this study, the radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) detection along the Gap River will be investigated.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2006

A self-absorption correction is important issue for the exact radioactivity determination of gamma emitting radionuclides in environmental samples which have the range of apparent density from $0.3g/cm^3$ up to $1.5g/cm^3$. In this paper, a practical and simple method without radioactive standard solutions having various densities is proposed for the self-absorption correction of environmental samples by a developed outside beaker surrounding Marinelli beaker. For the densities of 0.8, 1.0, $1.3g/cm^3$, the corrected efficiencies by the new method and the measured those by radioactive standard solutions of the three densities showed good agreement within 4 %.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2003

The measurement of radium ($^{226}Ra$) in the groundwater was established using ${\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy without sample preparation. The background interference by air borne radon daughter nuclides was reduced by $N_2$ gas flow into the counting chamber. Leakage of radon gas produced in the radioactive equilibrium with radium and its daughter nuclides was prevented by use of the air-tighted aluminium container. We investigated the effect of air layer in the counting container. Radioactivity variation due to emanation of radon into the air layer was within the counting error range 5%. When the nitrogen gas was flowed around the detector, peak counts of ${\gamma}$-rays from the daughters of airborne radon was decreased and detection limit was decreased to 0.02 Bq/L. The detection limit of detector was lower than 0.74 Bq/L, the $^{226}Ra$ Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) in the groundwater proposed by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It was confirmed that $^{226}Ra$ radioactivity in the groundwater could be determined by the ${\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 2001

In this paper, the formula of lower limit of detection considering the measuring time of sample and background was derived using the basic concepts of lower limit of detection. Among parameters affecting the determination of MDA value, the MDA values were calculated with variation of amount of sample and measuring time of sample and background. The results of adequate division between the measuring time of sample and that of background studied in this research make it possible to evaluate confidence limits on the radio analytical results in the environmental sample.