• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.67-75
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• 1984

As a part of studies on acute effects of high dose irradiation the present report was carried out to evaluate the changes of the leukocyte life span in the Newzealand white male rabbits by a single whole body exposure to gamma rays from $^{60}Co$ teleirradiation unit. The exposure was done in dose levels of 100, 300, 550 and 1,000 rad to each experimental group of 10 rabbits. The life span and apparent half survival time of leukocytes, and the elution rate of leukocytes in the circulating blood were measured by McMillan method using $^{51}Cr$. 1. As a critical indicator of radiation hazards of the Newzealand male rabbits, the LD 50/30 and LD 100/30 after whole body exposure was estimated as 550 and 1,000 rads respectively. 2. The life span of leukocyte in the circulation after irradiation was slightly shortened in the 100 rad irradiated group, as compared with the unirradiated control group, but markedly shortened in the 300, 550 and 1,000 rads irradiated group. 3. After irradiation, decrease of leukocyte half survival time in the circulation showed the same pattern as that of leukocytes life span. 4. As the irradiation doses increased, the elution rate of $^{51}Cr$ loss from $^{51}Cr$ tagged leukocytes in the circulation were markedly increased gradually. 5. The life span shortening of leukocytes in the circulation after irradiation seems to occure by two processes of senescence acceleration and early destruction.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.185-196
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• 2005

Although medical exposure from diagnostic radiology procedures such as conventional x-rays, CT and PET scans is necessary for healthcare purposes, understanding its characteristics and size of the resulting radiation dose to patients is much of worth because medical radiation constitutes the largest artificial source of exposure and the medical exposure is in a trend of fast increasing particularly in the developed society. Annual collective doses and per-caput effective doses from different radiology procedures in Korea were estimated by combining the effective dose estimates per single medical procedure and the health insurance statistics in 2002. Values of the effective dose per single procedure were compiled from different sources including NRPB reports, ICRP 80, MIRDOSE3.1 code and independent computations of the authors. The annual collective dose reaches 27440 man-Sv (diagnostic radiology: 22880 man-Sv, nuclear medicine: 4560 man-Sv) which is reduced to the annual per-caput effective dose of 0.58 mSv by dividing by the national population of 47.7 millions. The collective dose is far larger than that of occupational exposures, in the country operated 16 nuclear power plants in 2002, which is no more than 70 man-Sv in the same year. It is particularly noted that the collective dose due to CT scans amounts 9960 man-Sv. These results implies that the national policy for radiation protection should pay much more attention to optimization of patient doses in medicine.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2022

Background: A comprehensive, traceable, and easy-to-understand radiation risk indicator is desired for radiological protection. The early-onset hypothesis could be used for this purpose. Materials and Methods: An indicator for early death (IED) was developed and calculated using the epidemiological dataset from the 14^th Report of the Life Span Study (LSS) of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By clarifying the calculation process, IED for all-cause mortality was estimated. In addition, the characteristics of IED for solid cancer mortality and cardiovascular mortality as well as those of men and women, and their dependence on age at exposure were investigated for detailed analysis. Results and Discussion: The IED for all-cause mortality was estimated to be approximately 4 years for an acute radiation exposure of 1 Gy regardless of the fitting dose range. The cumulative death rate for all solid cancers also indicated the early-death tendency (approximately 7-10 years at 1 Gy). Although, there is a slight difference in the characteristics of the risk obtained from the LSS study and this study, it is considered that the IED in a unit of years can also be used to show the overall picture of risk due to radiation exposure. Conclusion: We developed and calculated the indicator for early death, IED, for the cumulative mortality rate of all causes of death, all solid cancers, and circulatory diseases. The quantitative values of IED were estimated to be 4 years for all causes of death, 7-10 years for all solid cancers. IED has an advantage for intuitively understanding the meaning of radiation risk since it can be obtained by a simple and traceable method.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 2002

Gourd seeds were irradiated with the doses of 0-20 Gy to investigate the effect of the low dose $\gamma$-radiation on the early growth and physiological activity. The stimulating effects of the low dose y- radiation on the early growth were not noticeably high, but were increased generally at 4-16 Gy irradiation group. The catalase and peroxidase activity of cotyledon from seeds irradiated with $\gamma$- radiation were increased at 8 Gy irradiation group. The photochemical activity of leaf was noticeably high at 4 Gy irradiation group. The photochemical yield of PSII, estimated as Fv/Fm, decreased with increasing illumination time by 50% after 4 hrs in the control and 8 Gy irradiation group, while Fo slightly increased. However, Fv/Em in the 4 Gy irradiation group decreased by 40% of inhibition, indicating that photoinhibition decreased by the low dose $\gamma$- radiation. Changes in the effective quantum yield of PSII, $\varphi_{PSII}$ and 1/Fo- l/Fm, a measure of the rate constant of excitation trapping by the PSII reaction center, showed similar pattern to Fv/Em. NPQ decreased by 70% after photoinhibitory treatment with showing similar pattern between the control and the irradiation group. These results showed the positive effect of low dose $\gamma$- radiation on the seedling growth and the reduction of photoinhibition in the 4 Gy irradiation group.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2002

The effect of low dose $\gamma$ radiation on photosynthesis and the reduction of photoinhibition in red pepper plant was investigated. The seedling height leaf width and leaf length of pepper were stimulated in plants grown from seeds irradiated with the low dose of 4 Gy. The $O_2$ evolution in the 4 Gy irradiation group was 1.5 times greater than in the control. To investigate the effect of low dose $\gamma$ radiation on response to high light stress, photoinhibition was induced in leaves of pepper by illumination of high light (900 $\mu mol/m^2/s$). Pmax was decreased with increasing illumination time by 20% in the control, while hardly decreased in the 4 Gy irradiation group. The photochemical yield of PSII, estimated as Fv/Fm, was decreased with increasing illumination time by 50% after 4 hours while Fo did not change. However, Fv/Fm in the 4 Gy irradiation group was decreased by 37% of inhibition, indicating that the photoinhibition was decreased by the low dose $\gamma$ radiation. Changes in the effective quantum yield of PSII, $\Phi_{PSII}$, and 1/Fo-1/Fm, a measure of the rate constant of excitation trapping by the PSII reaction center, showed similar pattern to Fv/Fm. And NPQ was decreased after photoinhibitory treatment showing no difference between the control and the 4 Gy irradiation group. These results showed the positive effect of low dose $\gamma$ radiation on the seedling growth and the reduction of photoinhibition.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.889-904
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• 2006

Our purpose is to ascertain, if possible, whether atomic bomb survivors with cataracts and epilation were more radiosensitive than those survivors with cataracts but without epilation. A major ophthalmologic survey was conducted in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1963-64. At that time, 2125 individuals were examined. Among these individuals, estimated eye organ doses, based on the DS86 dosimetry system, and information on the occurrence of epilation within the first 60 days following the bombings are available on 1742. In the analysis of these data we have assumed that each individual represents a sample of one from a binomial distribution, and that the occurrence of cataracts and epilation are independent biological phenomena. We got following results. The threshold for cataract induction and its 95% confidence limits have been estimated from data on the occurrence of cataract and epilation. Among the 1742 study subjects, 40 had both cataracts and severe epilation. The estimated threshold based on these cases is 0.98 sievert(Sv), with 95% lower and upper confidence bounds of 0.72, and 1.32 Sv, respectively, and is highly statistically significant. Among the 27 cases of cataracts where severe epilation was not reported, the estimated threshold is 1.74 Sv with 95% lower and upper confidence bounds of 1.21 Sv, and "not estimable". The difference between these two estimates is not statistically significant although the effect of dose is highly significant in both instances. The potential importance of biases in the DS86 dose estimates is discussed. The difference between the threshold estimated from cataract cases with epilation and that from cases without epilation is not statistically significant at the 5% or 10% level, and thus affords no support for the notion of increased radiosensitivity.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.214-227
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• 2013

Computed tomographic scan as a screening procedures in asymptomatic individuals has seen a steady increase with the introduction of multiple-raw detector CT scanners. This report provides a brief review of the current controversy surrounding CT cancer screening, with a focus on the radiation induced cancer risks and clinical efficacy. 1. A large study of patients at high risk of lung cancer(the National Lung Screening Trial[NLST]) showed that CT screening reduced cancer deaths by 20%(1.33% in those screened compared with 1.67% in those not screened). The rate of positive screening tests was 24.2% and 96.4% of the positive screening results in the low-dose CT group were false-positive. Radiation induced lung cancer risk was estimated the most important in screening population because ERR of radiation induced lung cancer does not show the decrease with increasing age and synergistic connection between smoking and radiation risk. Therefore, the radiation risk may be on the same order of magnitude as the benefit observed in the NLST. Optimal screening strategy remain uncertain, CT lung cancer screening is not yet ready for implementation. 2. Computed tomographic colonography is as good as colonoscopy for detecting colon cancer and is almost as good as colonoscopy for detecting advanced adenomas, but significantly less sensitive and specific for smaller lesions and disadvantageous for subsequent therapeutic optical colonoscopy if polyps are detected. The average effective dose from CT colonography was estimated 8-10 $mS{\nu}$, which could be a significant dose if administered routinely within the population over many years. CT colonography should a) achieve at least 90% sensitivity and specificity in the size category from 6 and 10 mm, b) offer non-cathartic bowl preparation and c) be optimized and standardized CT parameters if it is to be used for mass screening. 3. There is little evidence that demonstrates, for whole-body scanning, the benefit outweighs the detriment. This test found large portion of patient(86~90.8%) had at least one abnormal finding, whereas only 2% were estimated to have clinically significant disease. Annual scans from ages 45 to 75 years would accrue an estimated lifetime cancer mortality risk of 1.9%. There is no group within the medical community that recommends whole-body CT. No good studies indicate the accuracy of screening CT, at this time. The benefit/risk balance for any of the commonly suggested CT screening techniques has yet to be established. These areas need further research. Therefore wild screening should be avoided.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.162-168
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• 2016

Proton therapy is increasingly being actively used in the treatment of cancer. In contrast to photons, protons have the potential advantage of delivering higher doses to the cancerous tissue and lower doses to the surrounding normal tissue. However, a range shifter is needed to degrade the beam energy in order to apply the pencil beam scanning technique to tumors located close to the minimum range. The secondary neutrons are produced in the beam path including within the patient's body as a result of nuclear interactions. Therefore, unintended side effects may possibly occur. The research related to the secondary neutrons generated during proton therapy has been presented in a variety of studies worldwide, since 2007. In this study, we measured the magnitude of the secondary neutron dose depending on the location of the detector and the use of a range shifter at the beam nozzle of the proton scanning mode, which was recently installed. In addition, the production of secondary neutrons was measured and estimated as a function of the distance between the isocenter and detector. The neutron dose was measured using WENDI-II (Wide Energy Neutron Detection Instruments) and a Plastic Water phantom; a Zebra dosimeter and 4-cm-thick range shifter were also employed as a phantom. In conclusion, we need to consider the secondary neutron dose at proton scanning facilities to employ the range shifter reasonably and effectively.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.343-348
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• 2004

Cytogenetic and hematological analysis was performed in peripheral blood of cattle in the vicinity of Uljin nuclear power station and control area. The frequency of micronuclei(MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes from cattle was used as a biomarker of radiobiological effects resulting from exposure to environmental radiation. An estimated dose of radiation was calculated by a best fitting linear-quadratic model based on the radiation-induced MN formation from the bovine lymphocytes exposed in vitro to radiation over the range from 0 Gy to 4 Gy. MN ratio in lymphocytes of cattle from Uljin nuclear power station and control area were 8.90/1,000 and 9.60/1,000, respectively. There were no significant differences in MN frequencies and hematological values in cattle between Uljin and control area.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.329-335
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• 1991

The filter elution technique was used to assay $^{60}Co$ $\gamma$ ray-induced DNA strand breaks(SB) in EL4 mouse leukemia cell and mouse spleen lymphocyte. The lymphocytes were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, $20{\mu}g/ml$) to label $[^3H]$ thymidine. EL4 cells and lymphocytes in suspension were exposed at $0^{\circ}C$ to 0Gy, 1Gy, 5Gy, 10Gy or l5Gy for DNA single strand breaks(SSB) assay and 0Gy, 25Gy, 50Gy, 75Gy or 100Gy for DNA double strand breaks(DSB) assay of $^{60}Co$ radiation and elution procedure was performed at pH12.1 and 9.6. The number of DNA strand breaks increased with increasing doses of r rays. The strand scission factor(SSF) was estimated in each experiment (eluted volume 21ml). The slope of SSB EL4 cells was $0.01301{\pm}0.00096Gy^{-1}$ (n=5), the slope of SSB for lymphocytes was $0.01097{\pm}0.00091Gy^{-1}$ (n=5) and the slope of DSB for lymphocytes was $0.001707{\pm}0.0000573Gy^{-1}$ (n=5). Thus EL4 cells were more sensitive to induction of DNA SSB by ionizing radiation than lymphocytes (p<0.005). The ratio of slope of dose-response relationship (SSF versus dose) of lymphocytes DNA SSB as compared with the slope of DNA DSB was 6.4.