• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2005

A dynamic compartment model was developed to appraise the level of the contamination of agricultural plants by accidentally released tritium from nuclear facility. The model consists of a set of inter-connected compartments representing atmosphere, soil and plant. In the model three categories of plant are considered: leafy vegetables, grain plants and tuber plants, of which each is modeled separately to account for the different transport pathways of tritium. The predictive accuracy of the model was tested through the analysis of the tritium exposure experiments for rice-plants. The predicted TFWT(tissue free water tritium) concentration of the rice ear at harvest was greatly affected by the absolute humidity of air, the ratio of root uptake, and the rate of rainfall, while its OBT(organically bound tritium) concentration the stowing period of the ear, the absolute humidity of air and the content of hydrogen in the organic phase. There was a good agreement between the model prediction and the experimental results lot the OBT concentration of the ear.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.178-183
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• 2021

Background: This study was carried out to provide environmental transfer parameter values to estimate activity concentrations of these radionuclides in agricultural crops when direct contamination occurred. Materials and Methods: Mass interception fractions (F_Bs) and weathering half-lives (T_ws) of ¹³¹I and radiocesium were calculated using openly available monitoring data obtained after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. F_B is the ratio between the initial radioactivity concentration of a radionuclide retained by the edible part of the plant (Bq·kg^-1 fresh weight [FW]) and the amount of deposited radionuclide in that area (Bq·m^-2). T_w values can be calculated using activity concentrations of crops decreased with time after the initial contamination. Results and Discussion: Calculated F_B and T_w values for ¹³¹I and radiocesium were mostly obtained for leafy vegetables. The analytical results showed that there was no difference of F_Bs between ¹³¹I and radiocesium by t-test; geometric mean values for leafy vegetables cultivated under outdoor conditions were 0.058 and 0.12 m²·kg^-1 FW, respectively. Geometric mean T_w value of ¹³¹I in leafy vegetables grown under outdoor conditions was 8.6 days, and that of radiocesium was 6.6 days; there was no significant difference between T_w values of these radionuclides by Wilcoxon rank sum test. Conclusion: There was no difference between ¹³¹I and radiocesium for F_Bs and T_ws. By using these factors, we would be able to carry out a rough estimation of the activity concentrations of ¹³¹I and radiocesium in the edible part of leafy crops when a nuclear accident occurred.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.131-143
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• 2023

Background: This study examined the detection limit of thyroid screening monitoring conducted at the time of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in 2011 using a Monte Carlo simulation. Materials and Methods: We calculated the detection limit of a NaI(Tl) survey meter to measure ¹³¹I accumulation in the thyroid gland of children. Mathematical phantoms of 1- and 5-year-old children were developed in the simulation of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System code. Contamination of the body surface with eight radionuclides found after the FDNPP accident was assumed to have been deposited on the neck and shoulder area. Results and Discussion: The detection limit was calculated as a function of ambient dose rate. In the case of 40 Bq/cm² contamination on the body surface of the neck, the present simulations showed that residual thyroid radioactivity corresponding to thyroid dose of 100 mSv can be detected within 21 days after intake at the ambient dose rate of 0.2 µSv/hr and within 11 days in the case of 2.0 µSv/hr. When a time constant of 10 seconds was used at the dose rate of 0.2 µSv/hr, the estimated survey meter output error was 5%. Evaluation of the effect of individual differences in the location of the thyroid gland confirmed that the measured value would decrease by approximately 6% for a height difference of ±1 cm and increase by approximately 65% for a depth of 1 cm. Conclusion: In the event of a nuclear disaster, simple measurements carried out using a NaI(Tl) scintillation survey meter remain effective for assessing ¹³¹I intake. However, it should be noted that the presence of short-half-life radioactive materials on the body surface affects the detection limit.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.2
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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.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.12-17
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• 2012

Purpose : The patient's clothes and sheet after radioiodine therapy must be disposed of by related regulation. That must be disposed of as radioactive wastes, but that is reusing after radioactivity decay by keeping for the certain period of time. In general, The minimum storage period calculate by standard of take radioactive substance out of radiation controlled area based on measured surface contamination level. But the measurements of surface contamination level are able to differ by measurement method. In this paper, I wish to calculate the minimum storage period of patient's clothes and sheet after radioiodine therapy by measure nuclide concentration offered by the regulation on self-disposal of radioactive wastes. Materials and Methods : The whole area of patient's clothes and sheet measured 31 patients(male:9 patients, female:22 patients), who had radioiodine therapy(3.7 GBq:13 patients, 5.55 GBq:16 patients, 7.4 GBq:2 patients) from july 2011 to march 2012. The minimum storage period is calculated by the regulation on self-disposal of radioactive waste(100 Bq/g) and standard of take radioactive substance out of radiation controlled area(4 kBq/m2) Results : The minimum storage period of pillow sheet, upper uniform, lower uniform by standard of take radioactive substance out of radiation controlled area were each 4.6 days, 63days, 78 days. The minimum storage period of pillow sheet, upper uniform, lower uniform by the regulation on self-disposal of radioactive waste were each 18.1 days, 43 days, 62 days. Conclusion : We can verify that patient's clothes and sheet after radioiodine therapy exists a great deal of radioactive contamination. The minimum storage period calculation of patient's clothes and sheet is better suited to applying nuclide concentration offered by the regulation on self-disposal of radioactive waste. I recommend, To keep for at least 2 months of the patient's clothes and sheet contaminated radioactivity, for prevent contamination and unnecessary radiation exposure.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2017

Tc-99m labeled sestamibi ($^{99m}Tc$-MIBI) is one of most widely used radiopharmaceuticals for myocardial SPECT imaging. Radiolabeling of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI is recommended by heating in $100^{\circ}C$ water bath for 15 min. However, the water bath might be a source of contamination. Thus, if radiolabeling of $^{99m}Tc$-sestamibi can be performed at room temperature, then it would be more convenient to use in clinical application. In this study, we performed the radiolabeling of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI in different temperature conditions or using different instruments to find out the efficient labeling condition. We studied the $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI labeling at room temperature or $100^{\circ}C$ heating block, and checked the labelling yields every 1 min for 10 min using radio-TLC with 2 different eluents-saline and acetone. From the experiment, we confirmed that the $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI can be labeled over 90% yield but not completed at room temperature. However, the $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI labeling was completed when it was performed in the $100^{\circ}C$ heating block. Finally, we proved that heating is essential for complete $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI labelling, furthermore using heating block is also possible instead of water bath.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2009

During the maintenance period at Korean nuclear power plants, internal exposure of radiation workers occurred by the inhalation of $^{131}I$ released to the reactor building when primary system was opened. The internal radioactivity of radiation workers contaminated by $^{131}I$ was immediately measured using a whole body counter and the whole body counting was performed again after a few days. In this study, the intake estimated from the record history of entrance to radiation control areas and the measurement results of air sampling for $^{131}I$ in those areas, were compared with that from the results of whole body counting. As a result, it was concluded that the intake estimation using whole body counting and air sampling showed similar results.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.99-101
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• 1998

1. Introduction : The conventional grafting polymerization technique requires chemically reactive groups on the surface as well as on the polymer chains. For this reason, a series of prefunctionalization steps are necessary for covalent grafting. The surface prefunctionalizational technique for grafting can be used to ionization radiation, UV, plasma, ion beam or chemical initiators. Of these techniques, radiation method is one of the useful methods because of uniform and rapid creation of active radical sites without catalytic contamination in grafted samples. If the diffusion of monomer into polymer is large enough to come to the inside of polymer substrate, a homogeneous and uniform grafting reaction can be carried out throughout the whole polymer substrate. Radiation-induced grafting method may attach specific functional moieties to a polymeric substrate, such as preirradiation and simultaneous irradiation. The former is irradiated at backbone polymer in vacuum or nitrogen gas and air, and then subsequent monomer grafting by trapped or peroxy radicals, while the latter is irradiated at backbone polymer in the presence of the monomer. Therefore, radiation-induced polymerization can be used to modification of the chemical and physical properties of the polymeric materials and has attracted considerable interest because it imparts desirable properties such as blood compatibility. membrane quality, ion excahnge, dyeability, protein adsorption, and immobilization of bioactive materials. Synthesizing biocompatible materials by radiation method such as preirradiation or simultaneous irradiation has often used $\gamma$-rays to graft hydrophilic monomers onto hydrophobic polymer substrates. In this work, in attempt to produce surfaces that show low levels of anti-fouling of bovine serum albumin(BSA) solutions, hydroxyethyl methacrylate(HEMA) was grafted polypropylene membrane surfaces by preirradiation technique. The anti-fouling effect of the polypropylene membrane after grafting was examined by permeation BSA solution.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.457-469
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• 2023

The clearance level by nuclide is announced by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. However, the clearance level of uranium existing in nature has not been announced, and research is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the clearance level of uranium nuclides appropriate to domestic conditions preliminary. For this purpose, this study selected major processes for recycling metal wastes and analyzed the exposure scenarios and major input factors by investigating the characteristics of each process. Then, the radiation dose to the general public and workers was evaluated according to the selected scenarios. Finally, the results of the radiation dose per unit radioactivity for each scenario were analyzed to derive the clearance level of uranium in metal waste. The results of the radiation dose assessment for both the general public and workers per unit radioactivity of uranium isotopes were shown to meet the allowable dose (individual dose of 10 µSv y^-1 and collective dose of 1 Man-Sv y^-1) regulated by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. The most conservative scenarios for volumetric and surface contamination were evaluated for the handling of the slag generated after the melting of the metal waste and the direct reuse of the contaminated metal waste into the building without further disposal. For each of these scenarios, the radioactivity concentration by uranium isotope was calculated, and the clearance level of uranium in metal waste was calculated through the radioactivity ratio by enrichment. The results of this study can be used as a basic data for defining the clearance level of uranium-contaminated radioactive waste.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.237-246
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• 2016

This study is therefore aimed at measuring the surface dose rate and the spatial dose rate in and outside the radionuclide facility in order to ensure safety of the patients, radiation workers and family care-givers in their use of such equipment and to provide a basic framework for further research on radiation protection. The study was conducted at 4 restrooms in and outside the radionuclide facility of a general hospital in Incheon between May 1 and July 31, 2014. During the study period, the spatial contamination dose rate and the surface contamination dose rate before and after radiation use were measured at the 4 places-thyroid therapy room, PET center, gamma camera room, and outpatient department. According to the restroom use survey by hospitals, restrooms in the radionuclide facility were used not only by patients but also by family care-givers and some of radiation workers. The highest cumulative spatial radiation dose rate was 8.86 mSv/hr at camera room restroom, followed by 7.31 mSv/hr at radioactive iodine therapy room restroom, 2.29 mSv/hr at PET center restroom, and 0.26 mSv/hr at outpatient department restroom, respectively. The surface radiation dose rate measured before and after radiation use was the highest at toilets, which are in direct contact with patient's excretion, followed by the center and the entrance of restrooms. Unsealed radioactive sources used in nuclear medicine are relatively safe due to short half lives and low energy. A patient who received those radioactive sources, however, may become a mobile radioactive source and contaminate areas the patient contacts-camera room, sedation room, and restroom-through secretion and excretion. Therefore, patients administered radionuclides should be advised to drink sufficient amounts of water to efficiently minimize radiation exposure to others by reducing the biological half-life, and members of the public-family care-givers, pregnant women, and children-be as far away from the patients until the dose remains below the permitted dose limit.