• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권6호
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• pp.2158-2165
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• 2023

Marine radioactivity monitoring is critical for taking immediate action in case of unexpected nuclear accidents at nuclear facilities located near coastal areas. Especially when the level of contamination is not predictable, mobile monitoring systems will be useful for wide-area ocean radiation survey and for determination of the level of radioactivity. Here, we used a silicon photomultiplier and a high-efficiency GAGG crystal to fabricate a compact, battery-powered gamma spectroscopy that can be used in an ocean environment. The developed spectroscopy has compact dimensions of 6.5 × 6.5× 8 cm³ and weighs 560 g. We used LoRa, a low-power wireless protocol for communication. Successful data transmission was achieved within 1.4 m water depth. The developed gamma spectroscopy was able to detect radioactivity from a ¹³⁷Cs point source (3.7 kBq) at a distance of 20 cm in water. Moreover, we demonstrated an unmanned radioactivity monitoring system in a real sea by combining unmanned surface vehicle with the developed gamma spectroscopy. A hidden ¹³⁷Cs source (3.07 MBq) was detected by the unmanned system at a distance of 3 m. After successfully testing the developed mobile spectroscopy in an ocean environment, we believe that our proposed system will be an effective solution for mobile real-time marine radioactivity monitoring.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.64-71
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• 2019

Background: It is very difficult to distinguish between a radioactive contamination source and background radiation from natural radionuclides in the marine environment by means of online monitoring system. The objective of this study was to investigate a statistical process for triggering abnormal level of count rate data measured from our on-line seawater radioactivity monitoring. Materials and Methods: Count rate data sets in time series were collected from 9 monitoring posts. All of the count rate data were measured every 15 minutes from the region of interest (ROI) for $^{137}Cs$ ($E_{\gamma}=661.6keV$) on the gamma-ray energy spectrum. The Shewhart ($3{\sigma}$), CUSUM, and Bayesian S-R control chart methods were evaluated and the comparative analysis of determination methods for count rate data was carried out in terms of the false positive incidence rate. All statistical algorithms were developed using R Programming by the authors. Results and Discussion: The $3{\sigma}$, CUSUM, and S-R analyses resulted in the average false positive incidence rate of $0.164{\pm}0.047%$, $0.064{\pm}0.0367%$, and $0.030{\pm}0.018%$, respectively. The S-R method has a lower value than that of the $3{\sigma}$ and CUSUM method, because the Bayesian S-R method use the information to evaluate a posterior distribution, even though the CUSUM control chart accumulate information from recent data points. As the result of comparison between net count rate and gross count rate measured in time series all the year at a monitoring post using the $3{\sigma}$ control charts, the two methods resulted in the false positive incidence rate of 0.142% and 0.219%, respectively. Conclusion: Bayesian S-R and CUSUM control charts are better suited for on-line seawater radioactivity monitoring with an count rate data in time series than $3{\sigma}$ control chart. However, it requires a continuous increasing trend to differentiate between a false positive and actual radioactive contamination. For the determination of count rate, the net count method is better than the gross count method because of relatively a small variation in the data points.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.183-187
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• 2004

본 연구는 국내에서 생산된 식품과 수입식품에 대한 방사능 오염실태를 조사하고 그 결과를 바탕으로 식품에 대한 방사능 오염의 기준 및 규격 설정을 위한 기초자료 생산을 목표로 수행되었다. 조사 대상시료는 국민식생활에 근거하여 곡류, 두류, 근채류, 인삼류, 어패류, 육류 등으로 선정하였다. 국내 생산된 식품 중에서 쌀, 대두, 감자, 쇠고기의 경우는 지역별 오염실태 차이를 파악하기 위해 국내 원자력발전소 주변지역에서 시료를 구입하였다. 모든 시료는 건조하여 회화시킨 후 사용하였으며, 방사능 농도는 감마핵종분석기를 이용하여 측정하였다. 인공방사능인 Cs-137의 방사능농도는 곡류의 경우는 0.025-0.053 Bq/kg-fresh, 두류는 0.045-0.500Bq/kg-fresh, 근채류(감자)는 0.062-0.105 Bq/kg-fresh, 인삼류는 0.025-1.151 Bq/kg-fresh, 육류(쇠고기)는 0.021-0.145 Bq/kg-fresh, 어패류는 0.046-0.155 Bq/kg-fresh의 범위를 나타냈으며, 다. 본 조사 결과 2002년도에 채취된 국내에서 생산된 식품 중 Cs-137의 농도는 지역별로 큰 차이를 나타내지 않았으며, 식품 중의 방사능 잠정허용기준치인 370Bq/kg에 훨씬 못 미치는 무시할 정도의 값으로 나타났다. 또한, 수입식품 중 2002년도에 채취된 시료인 쌀(태국산), 밀(미국산), 대두(러시아산), 홍합(뉴질랜드산), 수삼(중국산), 쇠고기(호주산, 미국산)의 경우도 국내산과 큰 차이를 나타내지 않았다. 그러나 조사항목 중 중국에서 수입된 인삼(건삼) 중의 방사능 농도가 다른 식품시료에 비해 상대적으로 높다는 것은 특이할 만한 사항이다.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.470-475
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• 2014

현재 많이 보급되어 보편적인 이동단말장치로 사용되는 스마트폰은 USB등의 인터페이스를 지원하며 휴대성과 이동성이 편해 기존 모니터링 장비의 대체가 가능하다. 최근 방사능, 나트륨, 전자파 등의 주변 환경을 탐지하는 센서를 USB 액세서리 형태의 입력장치로 개발되어 많이 판매되고 있으나, 기존 방식의 센서 Plug and Play 기술을 스마트폰 USB 액세서리 장치를 연결하는데 문제점이 있다. 본 논문에서는 스마트폰 USB 액세서리 Plug and Play를 위한 통합 앱 구조를 제안하고, 통합 앱과 센서 액세서리 플랫폼 그리고 센서 웹서버와의 데이터교환 방식을 설계하였으며 다양한 센서들의 측정 데이터를 하나의 앱에서 수집하고 표시할 수 있도록 구현하였다.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.52-58
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• 2004

본 연구는 제주지역에서 소비되는 식품류 중의 $^{137}Cs$ 과$^{40}K$ 방사능 농도를 조사하여, 식품 섭취에 따른 $^{137}Cs$와 $^{40}K$에 의한 내부피폭 선량의 값을 평가함으로써 만일의 원자력 사고로 인한 방사능 오염에 대처할 수 있는 기초 자료를 확보하고자 수행하였다. 시료로 채취한 식품류는 농산물 31, 축산물 6, 수산물 12, 임산물 4 그리고 가공식품(차류)이 3종류였고, 방사능 분석은 고순도 게르마늄검출기가 장착된 감마선분광계로 수행하였다. 시료 중 $^{137}Cs$ 방사능 농도범위는 농산물이 MDA이하 ${\sim}650\;mBq/kg$ fresh 축산물 MDA이하 ${\sim}131\;mBq/kg$ fresh, 임산물 MDA이하 ${\sim}834\;mBq/kg$ fresh, 수산물 MDA이하 ${\sim}253\;mBq/kg$ fresh, 그리고 가공식품은 $32.0{\sim}483\;mBq/kg$ fresh 이었다. $^{40}K$의 경우는 농산물 $16.6{\sim}542\;Bq/kg$ fresh, 축산물 $39.1{\sim}294\;Bq/kg$ fresh, 임산물 $85.5{\sim}116\;Bq/kg$ fresh 수산물 $50.1{\sim}657\;Bq/kg$ fresh 그리고 가공식품$33.6{\sim}1,065Bq/kg$ fresh 범위였다. 시료 중 $^{137}Cs$ 방사능 농도가 가장 높은 것은 표고버섯으로 834 mBq/kg fresh 이었으며, $^{40}K$은 커피가 1,065 Bq/kg fresh로 가장 높았다. 각 식품류 중 $^{137}Cs$와 $^{40}K$에 의한 연간 유효선량은 농산물이 66,543 nSv로 가장 높았고, 축산물 19,311, 가공식품(차류) 6,648, 수산물 6,579 그리고 임산물 860 nSv 순으로 낮았으며, 이것을 모두 합한 총 연간 유효선량 값은 99,941 nSv 이었다. 본 연구에 포함된 식품의 1인당 연간 섭취량이 연간 총 식품 섭취량의 60%임을 감안해도 자연환경 중에서 이루어지는 외부피폭에 의한 연간 유효선량인 2,400,000 nSv에 비하면 무시 할 정도여서 평상시 식품섭취에 의한 방사선 내부피폭은 매우 미량이었다. 이상의 자료는 유사시 방사선에 의한 식품류 오염정도를 식별하는데 필수 불가결할 것으로 사료된다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.268-273
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• 2016

Background: This study was a long-term evaluation of $^{137}Cs$ and $^{90}Sr$ activity concentrations in seawater samples from the East Sea, Korea, in order to establish current activity levels. Results and long-term monitoring trends will be useful in the future monitoring of environmental radioactivity. Materials and Methods: Surface seawater samples were collected quarterly from Guryongpo and Jangho in the East Coast between 1998 and 2010 and the quarterly deep seawater samples were collected from three sites in the sea adjacent to Ulleung-do between 2012 and 2015. The activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ were measured using a gamma-spectrometer. The activity concentrations of $^{90}Sr$ and $^{90}Y$ in a radioactive equilibrium state were measured using a gas flow proportional counter. Results and Discussion: We found the annual average activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ in the surface seawater was $1.66-2.89mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Guryongpo and $1.68-2.43mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Jangho. The annual average activity concentrations of $^{90}Sr$ in the surface seawater was $0.83-1.98mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Guryongpo and $0.82-1.57mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Jangho. The annual average activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ in the deep seawater sites were $1.51-1.73mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, $1.19-1.60mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ and $0.87-1.15mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in TH, JD, and HP. The annual average activity concentrations of $^{90}Sr$ in the same deep seawater sites were $1.00-1.94mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, $0.82-1.26mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, and $0.79-1.32mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$. The effective half-life was calculated by analyzing change over time in the activity concentration in the surface seawater. The effective half-life of $^{137}Cs$ was $15.3{\pm}0.1years$ in Guryongpo and $102{\pm}3years$ in Jangho. The effective half-life of $^{90}Sr$ was $28.3{\pm}4.3years$ in Guryongpo and $16.6{\pm}0.1years$ in Jangho. The ratio of the average activity concentration ($^{137}Cs/^{90}Sr$) was 1.72 in the surface seawater, which is similar to the reported ratio of the global radioactive fallout. The ratio in the deep seawater was 1.24, which is somewhat low compared to the global ratio (1.6, 1.8). Conclusion: Activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ and $^{90}Sr$ in the seawaters of the East Sea were similar to the previously reported activity levels in the East Sea and northwestern Pacific as a result of global radioactive fallout following atmospheric nuclear weapon tests.