• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.301-308
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• 2018

Anthropogenic radioactive noble gases formed by nuclear fission are significant indicators used to monitor the nuclear activity of neighboring countries. In particular, radioactive xenon, owing to its abundant generation and short half-life, can be used to detect nuclear testing, and radioactive krypton has been used as a tracer to monitor the reprocessing of nuclear fuels. Released radioactive noble gases are in the atmosphere at infinitesimal amounts due to their dilution in the air and their short half-life decay. Therefore, to obtain reliable and significant data when performing measurement of noble gases in the atmosphere, the minimum detectable activity (MDA) for noble gases should be defined as low as possible. In this study, the MDA values for radioactive xenon and krypton were theoretically obtained based on the BfS-IAR system by collecting both noble gases simultaneously. In addition, various MDA methods, confidence level and analysis conditions were suggested to reduce and optimize MDA with an assessment of the factors affecting MDA. The current investigation indicated that maximizing the pretreatment efficiency and performance maintenance of the counter were the most important aspects for Xe. In the case of Kr, since sample activities are much higher than those of Xe, it is possible to change the target MDA or to simplification of the analysis system.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2020

Background: The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has recently published report series on the occupational intakes of radionuclides (OIR) for internal dosimetry of radiation workers. In this study, the optimized monitoring program including the monitoring interval and the minimum detectable activity (MDA) of major radionuclides was suggested to perform the routine individual monitoring of internal exposure based on the ICRP OIR. Materials and Methods: The derived recording levels and the critical monitoring quantities were reviewed from international standards or guidelines by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS). The OIR data viewer provided by ICRP was used to evaluate the monitoring intervals and the MDA, which are derived from the reference bioassay functions and the dose coefficients. Results and Discussion: The optimal monitoring intervals were determined taking account of two requirement conditions on the potential intake underestimation and the MDA values. The MDA requirement values of the selected radionuclides were calculated based on the committed effective dose from 0.1 mSv to 5 mSv. The optimized routine individual monitoring program was suggested including the optimal monitoring intervals and the MDA requirements. The optimal MDA values were evaluated based on the committed effective dose of 0.1 mSv. However, the MDA can be adjusted considering the practical operation of the routine individual monitoring program in the nuclear facilities. Conclusion: The monitoring intervals and the MDA as crucial factors for the routine monitoring were described to suggest the optimized routine individual monitoring program of the occupational intakes. Further study on the alpha/beta-emitting radionuclides as well as short lived gamma-emitting nuclides will be necessary in the future.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 2001

Neutron dose assessment in criticality accidents using Whole Body Counter (WBC) was proved to be an effective method as rapid neutron dose estimation at the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura. The 1.36MeV gamma-ray of $^{24}Na$ in a body can be detected easily by a germanium detector. The Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA) of $^{24}Na$ is approximately 50Bq for 10miniute measurement by the germanium-type whole body counter at JNC Tokai Works. Neutron energy spectra at the typical shielding conditions in criticality accidents were calculated and the conversion factor, whole body activity-to-organ mass weighted neutron absorbed dose, corresponding to each condition were determined. The conversion factor for uncollied fission spectrum is 7.7 $[(Bq^{24}Na/g^{23}Na)/mGy]$.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.1259-1265
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• 2021

In the present study, a large-area hybrid gamma imaging system was designed by adopting coded aperture imaging on the basis of a large-area Compton camera to achieve high imaging performance throughout a broad energy range (100-2000 keV). The system consisting of a tungsten coded aperture mask and monolithic NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors was designed through a series of Geant4 Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations, in consideration of both imaging sensitivity and imaging resolution. Then, the performance of the system was predicted by Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations for point sources under various conditions. Our simulation results show that the system provides very high imaging sensitivity (i.e., low values for minimum detectable activity, MDA), thus allowing for imaging of low-activity sources at distances impossible with coded aperture imaging or Compton imaging alone. In addition, the imaging resolution of the system was found to be high (i.e., around 6°) over the broad energy range of 59.5-1330 keV.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.419-424
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• 2004

Various radiation counters have been using to determine radioactivity of radwastes for disposal. A radiation counting system was set up using a radiation detector chosen in this study and its stability was investigated through the periodic determination of background and counting efficiencies in accordance with a quality control program to increase the confidence level. The average background level for the $\gamma$-spectrometer was 1.59 cps and the average counting level for the standard sample was 45248 Ops within $2{\sigma}$ confidence levels. The average alpha background level for the low background ${\alpha}{\beta}$ counting system was 0.31 cpm and the efficiency for alpha counting was 34.38%. The average beta background level for the ${\alpha}{\beta}$ counting system was 1,30 cpm and the efficiency for beta counting was 46.5%, The background level in the region of 3H and 14C for the liquid scintillation counting system was 2.52 and 3.31 cpm and the efficiency for alpha counting was 58.5 and 95.6%, respectively. The minimum detectable activity for the$\gamma$-spectrometer was found to be 3.2 Bq/$m\ell$ and 3.8 Bq/$m\ell$ for the liquid scintillation counter, and 20.5 and 23.0 Bq/$m\ell$, respectively for the $\alpha$ and $\beta$ counting system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.857-862
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• 2020

In March 2011, a tsunami off Japan caused radioactive material that had seeped into the sea from the Fukushima nuclear accident to flow to the Pacific Ocean, causing pollution to sea life. For a comparative evaluation with the area surrounding the site of a nuclear power plant by the release of radioactive materials, an area 20 to 30 km away from the emergency protection plan area was selected as a comparative point considering weather conditions, population distribution, etc. In addition, the government intends to analyze the minimum detection radiation received by residents around the nuclear power plant and evaluate the effective dose. Analysis of tritium radiation from water samples showed that most of the samples were not detected and that 0.0014 % to 0.777 % of the annual legal standard of 1 mSv for the general public had little effect on the human body. Therefore, the measurement and analysis of water samples around the nuclear power plant site is expected to help relieve anxiety, such as exposure to the general public and neighboring residents due to radiation release.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.377-392
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• 1987

Monoclonal antibody to the Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin(ST) was produced to develop a rapid and convenient diagnostic method to the ST. The toxin was purified from culture supernatant of enterotoxigenic E. coli O148H28($ST^+/LT^+$) and conjugated to bovine serum albumin(BSA). The ST-BSA conjugate was used to immunize BALB/c mice and the immune spleen cells from these mice were fused with $P3{\times}63$ Ag8.V653 plasmacytoma cells. Hybridomas were screened by ELISA and positive hybridomas were cloned by limiting dilution. Finally, one stable clone (AS36) specific to ST was selected for further growth and characterization. Antibody titers of culture supernatant and ascitic fluid from BALB/c mice were 1:1,024 and 1:20,480 respectively in ELISA. The isotype and subclass of monoclonal antibody was IgG1 in sandwich ELISA. To test the neutralizing effect of monoclonal antibody on toxin activity of ST, mixture of ascitic fluid and ST was assayed by infant mouse assay and this monoclonel antibody was proved to be a neutralizing antibody. The titer of ascitic fluid which completely neutralized biological activity of 4 units of ST was 1:4. Purified ST was quantitatively measured by competitive ELISA and minimum amount of ST detectable by this assay was 250pg, which was an amount six-fold smaller than that detectable by infant mouse assay. Four reference strains of enterotoxigenic E. coli from WHO were detected by competitive ELISA and highly specific, sensitive and reproducible result was obtained.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.789-792
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• 2015

Samples of fishery products were tested for radioactivity by using the intake frequency data from Korea Health Statistics. The radioactivity of $^{40}K$, $^{137}Cs$, $^{134}Cs$, and $^{131}I$ was analyzed using gamma spectrometry with a simplified sample pre-treatment procedure. The radioactivity range for $^{40}K$ was 21.9-3050 Bq/kg, whereas the radioactivities of $^{137}Cs$, $^{134}Cs$, and $^{131}I$ were under minimum detectable activity which were in the range of 0.140-1.97, 0.0900-1.89 and 0.124-1.94 Bq/kg, respectively, for the three species. The results suggest that the Fukushima accident did not have a significant impact on domestic fishery products, which were analyzed during the period from 2013 to 2015. Additionally, there seemed to be no significant impact of additional exposure dose by the analyzed radionuclides.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2020

To ensure food safety of berries from radioactive contamination, radioactivity monitoring was conducted with a total 258 samples of the berries and processed berry products distributed in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, from 2016 to 2018. The concentration of artificial radionuclides, ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs, was analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometry. ¹³¹I and ¹³⁴Cs were not detected above the MDA (Minimum Detectable Activity) value from any of the samples. However, the range of radioactivity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs was 0.69-808.90 Bq/kg in 39 cases of berries. ¹³⁷Cs was detected at 0.70-3.29 Bq/kg from 6 cases of domestic berries, which were manufactured from imported raw materials. Among 33 cases of imported berries, ¹³⁷Cs was detected at 0.69-808.90 Bq/kg. The concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs in 1 case of blueberry powder product (808.90 Bq/kg) and 2 cases of lingonberry powder products (103.93, 188.46 Bq/kg) exceed domestic maximum radioactivity limits, and these were detected in the berries from Poland. These results suggest that monitoring system for imported berries and processed berry products should be continuously intensified to secure food safety.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.321-328
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• 2019

The detection performances of the NaI(Tl), $LaBr_3$(Ce) and $CeBr_3$ scintillation detectors, which can be used to rapidly evaluate the major artificial radionuclides deposited on the soil surface in a nuclear accident or radiological emergency, were compared. Detection performance was assessed by calculating the minimum detectable activity (MDA). The detection efficiency of each detector for artificial radionuclides was semi-empirically determined using mathematical modelling and point-like sources having certified radioactivity. The background gamma-ray energy spectrum for MDA evaluation was obtained from relatively wide and flat grassland, and the MDA values of each detector for the major artificial radionuclides that could be released in nuclear accidents were calculated. As a result, the relative MDA values of each detector regarding surface deposition distribution at normal environmental radiation level were evaluated as high in the order of the NaI(Tl), $LaBr_3$(Ce), and $CeBr_3$ detectors. These results were compared based on each detector's intrinsic and measurement environment background, detection efficiency, and energy resolution for the gamma-ray energy region of the radionuclide of interest.