• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.85-96
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• 2018

Background: A variety of inorganic scintillators have been developed and improved for use in radiation detection and measurement, and in situ gamma-ray spectrometry in the environment remains an important area in nuclear safety. In order to verify the feasibility of promising scintillators in an actual environment, a performance test is necessary to identify gamma-ray peaks and calculate the radioactivity from their net count rates in peaks. Materials and Methods: Among commercially available scintillators, $LaBr_3(Ce)$ scintillators have so far shown the highest energy resolution when detecting and identifying gamma-rays. However, the intrinsic background of this scintillator type affects efficient application to the environment with a relatively low count rate. An algorithm to subtract the intrinsic background was consequently developed, and the in situ calibration factor at 1 m above ground level was calculated from Monte Carlo simulation in order to determine the radioactivity from the measured net count rate. Results and Discussion: The radioactivity of six natural radionuclides in the environment was evaluated from in situ gamma-ray spectrometry using an $LaBr_3(Ce)$ detector. The results were then compared with those of a portable high purity Ge (HPGe) detector with in situ object counting system (ISOCS) software at the same sites. In addition, the radioactive cesium in the ground of Jeju Island, South Korea, was determined with the same assumption of the source distribution between measurements using two detectors. Conclusion: Good agreement between both detectors was achieved in the in situ gamma-ray spectrometry of natural as well as artificial radionuclides in the ground. This means that an $LaBr_3(Ce)$ detector can produce reliable and stable results of radioactivity in the ground from the measured energy spectrum of incident gamma-rays at 1 m above the ground.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.190-200
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• 2023

As the field of application of in-situ gamma spectroscopy is diversified, proficiency is required for consistent and accurate analysis. In this study, a program was developed to virtually create gamma energy spectra of artificial nuclides, which are difficult to obtain through actual measurements, for training. The virtual spectrum was created by synthesizing the spectra of the background radiation obtained through actual measurement and the theoretical spectra of the artificial radionuclides obtained by a Monte Carlo simulation. Since the theoretical spectrum can only be obtained for a given geometrical structure, representative major geometries for in-situ measurement (ground surface, concrete wall, radioactive waste drum) and the detectors (HPGe, NaI(Tl), LaBr₃(Ce)) were predetermined. Generated virtual spectra were verified in terms of validity and harmonization by gamma spectrometry and energy calibration. As a result, it was confirmed that the energy calibration results including the peaks of the measured spectrum and the peaks of the theoretical spectrum showed differences of less than 1 keV from the actual energies, and that the calculated radioactivity showed a difference within 20% from the actual inputted radioactivity. The verified data were assembled into a database and a program that can generate a virtual spectrum of desired condition was developed.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.167-172
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• 2012

현장 감마분광분석의 참고지로서 제주는 일정 수준 이상의 $^{137}Cs$이 존재하며 교란 받지 않은 개활지가 많다는 점에서 의미 있는 지역이다. 본 논문은 제주 지역 내 여러 개활지 중 한라산 국립공원 내에 위치하고 있는 방목지를 선정하였으며, 측정 계수값에 대한 분산분석과 현장 감마분광분석을 통한 방사능 농도로써 해당 지역 $^{137}Cs$의 균일성 및 농도 준위을 평가하였다. 이를 위해 총 3개 지점, 79개 측정점에 대해 각 2000초씩 5% 미만 계수 불확도 수준의 측정이 이루어졌다. 분산분석 결과 2개 지점은 균일하였으며, 나머지 1개 지점은 측정 범위의 조정을 통해서 균일하도록 지정 가능하였다. 현장 감마분광분석으로 산출한 각 지점 지표면의 토양 방사능 농도는 $53.7{\sim}93.2Bq\;kg^{-1}$, $30.5{\sim}61.0Bq\;kg^{-1}$, $48.8{\sim}102Bq\;kg^{-1}$의 분포를 보였다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.173-178
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• 2016

Background: In situ gamma spectrometry has been used to measure environmental radiation, assumptions are usually made about the depth distribution of the radionuclides of interest in the soil. The main limitation of in situ gamma spectrometry lies in determining the depth distribution of radionuclides. The objective of this study is to develop a method for subsurface characterization by in situ measurement. Materials and Methods: The peak to valley method based on the ratio of counting rate between the photoelectric peak and Compton region was applied to identify the depth distribution. The peak to valley method could be applied to establish the relation between the spectrally derived coefficients (Q) with relaxation mass per unit area (${\beta}$) for various depth distribution in soil. The in situ measurement results were verified by MCNP simulation and calculated correlation equation. In order to compare the depth distributions and contamination levels in decommissioning KRR site, in situ measurement and sampling results were compared. Results and Discussion: The in situ measurement results and MCNP simulation results show a good correlation for laboratory measurement. The simulation relationship between Q and source burial for the source layers have exponential relationship for a variety depth distributions. We applied the peak to valley method to contaminated decommissioning KRR site to determine a depth distribution and initial activity without sampling. The observed results has a good correlation, relative error between in situ measurement with sampling result is around 7% for depth distribution and 4% for initial activity. Conclusion: In this study, the vertical activity distribution and initial activity of $^{137}Cs$ could be identifying directly through in situ measurement. Therefore, the peak to valley method demonstrated good potential for assessment of the residual radioactivity for site remediation in decommissioning and contaminated site.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2019년도 춘계학술논문요약집
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• pp.333-334
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• 2019

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2018년도 춘계학술논문요약집
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• pp.401-402
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• 2018

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.87-100
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• 1990

자연환경 방사선의 주 요소의 하나인 지각 방사선에 의한 피폭선량을 정량적으로 측정 해석하기 위하여 24개월간에 걸친 TLD에 의한 연속 적산선량 측정과 주기적인 감마선 분광분석을 수행하였다. TLD로는 LiF PTFE disk형을 사용하였으며 감마선 분광분석에서는 $3&{\phi}{\times}3'$원주형 Nal(Tl) 섬광검출기와 휴대형 다중파고 분석기 (4096 ch)를 사용하였다. 측정한 선량은 모두 실효 선량당량으로 평가하였으며 부수적으로 우주선 전리 성분에 의한 선량당량도 평가할 수 있었다. 분산 가중 평균값을 취한 결과에 의하면 대전 지역의 측정점에서 지각 방사선과 우주선 전리 성부의 체외 피폭에 의한 년간 실효 선량당량은 각각 $564{\pm}4\;{\mu}Sv(64.8{\pm}0.5nSv{\cdot}h^{-1}$ 및 $300{\pm}2\;{\mu}Sv(34.3{\pm}0.2nSv{\cdot}h^{-1}$로 나타났다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.121-132
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• 1994

본 연구는 대구지역의 지각 ${\gamma}$-선에 의한 조사선량율을 측정하고 그에 따른 성분별 공간선량율 및 지역적 분포 등의 환경방사선 특성을 조사하였다. ${\gamma}$-선 스펙트럼의 측정에는 $4^{'}{\phi}{\times}4^{'}$ NaI(T1) 계측기와 휴대용 다중파고분석장치를 이용하여 이 지역내의 28개 지점에서 in-situ spectrometry를 수행하였으며, 측정된 스펙트럼으로부터 조사선량율을 환산하여 지각 ${\gamma}$-선의 총선량율과 일반적으로 자연방사능의 주종이 되는 $^{40}K,\;^{238}U$ 계열 및 $^{232}Th$계열의 성분별 조사 선량율을 구하였다. 조사결과 대구지역의 지각 ${\gamma}$-선에 의한 평균조사선량율은 $9.4{\mu}R/h$였으며 지점별 분포는 $7.6{\sim}11.0{\mu}R/h$ 범위로 다소 차이를 보였다. 측정시에 수반되는 기후나 우주선 등에 따른 일 변화폭을 고려한다면 지점간의 차이는 주로 표토층의 자연방사성핵종인 $^{40}K,\;^{238}U$계열 및 $^{232}Th$ 계열의 핵종에 기인함을 알 수 있었으며, 성분별 선량율은 $^{40}K\;2.9{\sim}4.6{\mu}R/h,\;^{238}U$ 계열 $1.2{\sim}3,\;1{\mu}R/h,\;^{232}Th$ 계열 $2.5{\sim}5.0{\mu}R/h$의 분포를 나타냈다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권11호
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• pp.3491-3504
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• 2021

This paper reports on the state-of-the-art of the main non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques usually used for in-situ radiological characterization of nuclear facilities subject to a decommissioning programme. For the sake of clarity and coherence, they have been classified as environmental radiation monitoring, surface contamination measurements, gamma spectrometry, passive neutron counting and radiation cameras. Particular mention is also made here to the various challenges that each of these techniques must currently overcome, together with the formulation of some proposals for a potential evolution in the future.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.96-108
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• 1985

감마선분광분석 및 열형광선량측정법에 의한 자연환경방사선의 선량해석에 관한 연구를 1984년 10월부터 약 1년간에 걸쳐 충남대학교 대덕캠퍼스내의 1만 $m^2$ 규모의 평면개활지에서 수행하였다. 이 연구에서 사용한 검출기는 3'${\phi}{\times}$3' NaI(T1) 섬광계수기(閃光計數器)와 plastic 에 밀봉하여 금속판에 압착 처리한 chip 과 Teflon-disk 로된 2종의 LiF TLD 였다. 실측실험으로는 3회에 걸친 24시간 cycle의 in-situ spectrometry 와 2회의 3개월 cycle 과 1회의 1개월 cycle에 걸친 TLD field dosimetry를 수행하였다. 측정한 모든 spectrum은 G(E)연산자법에 의하여 조사선량율(照射線量率)로 환산하였고 그 결과로부터 환경 방사선의 지설성분(地設成分)을 산출하였다. 결과(結果)에 의하면 spectrometry로 구한 조사선량율이 평균 $(10.54{\pm}2.96){\mu}R/hr$, TLD chip으로 측정해석한 값은 $(12.0{\pm}3.4){\mu}R/hr$, disk에서 얻은 값이 $(11.0{\pm}3.6){\mu}R/hr$로 오차범위 안에서 매우 좋은 일치를 보이고 있다. 그러나 감마선분광분석에 의한 자연방사선의 일변화(日變化)에는 가끔 심한동요가 관측되었다. 정확한 환경방사선량해석을 위하여 감마선분광분석과 TLD의 적절한 동시 배합사용이 바람직 하며, 보다 고감도의 TLD에 관한 연구와 국제비교등을 통한 선량평가의 정도향상(精度向上)을 위한 보다 깊이 있는 연구가 필요하다는 결론(結論)에 도달하였다.