• Title/Summary/Keyword: Radioactive Contamination

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Improvement of a Dynamic Food Chain Model Considering the Influence of Radioactive Contamination of Foods by Rainfall During a Nuclear Emergency (원자력 사고 중 강우에 의한 음식물 오염영향을 고려한 역동학적 섭식경로모델 개선)

  • Hwang, Won-Tae;Kim, Eun-Han;Han, Moon-Hec;Choi, Yong-Ho;Lee, Han-Soo;Lee, Chang-Woo
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.27 no.1
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    • pp.21-26
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    • 2002
  • For the consideration of the influence on radioactive contamination of foods due to rain during the release period of radionuclides in a nuclear accident, the previous dynamic food chain model was improved. Wet interception coefficients for the agricultural plants were derived as a function of radionuclide and rainfall amount, and mathematical formula of the model was also re-established. In the results for the same time-integrated radioactive concentrations on the ground, radioactive contamination of foods decreased greatly by rainfall, and it decreased dramatically according to increasing rainfall amount. It means that predictive contamination in foods using the previous dynamic food chain model, in which dry interception to the agricultural plants is only considered, can be overestimated. Among radionuclides considering in this study ($^{137}Cs,\;^{90}Sr,\;^{131}I$), influence of rainfall for food contamination was the most sensitive to $^{131}I$, and the least sensitive to $^{90}Sr$.

Measurement of Radioactive Surface Contamination of the Restroom in the Hospital (병원 내 화장실의 방사성 표면오염도 측정)

  • Han, Sang-Hyun
    • Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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    • v.11 no.8
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    • pp.71-76
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    • 2020
  • This study measured radioactive surface contamination in general public restrooms in hospitals and in dedicated toilets for nuclear medicine. The measurement method was measured using Berthold (LB 124, Germany) at the entrance to the restroom, inside the restroom, around the restroom, in the urinal, and around the urinal. As a result of the use of the restroom, there was no dedicated place waiting for patients who received radioisotopes in one of the three hospitals. As a result of measuring the restroom for exclusive use of radioisotopes, all measurement sites in the radioiodine therapy room were the highest, and the results of measuring the public restrooms showed background level contamination at all hospitals except hospital B. However, it was measured as 8.073 Bq/㎠ and 6.426 Bq/㎠ in the urinals in the public restroom on the first floor of the B hospital. Therefore, it is recommended to explain the dangers of radiation exposure to patients and provide a place for patients to wait. In addition, a plan should be sought to prevent patients from receiving radioisotopes from using unnecessary movements and general public restrooms.

A Feasibility Study for Decision-Making Support of a Radioactive Contamination Model in an Urban Environment (METRO-K) (도시환경 방사능오염 평가모델 METRO-K의 대응행위 결정지원을 위한 실용성 연구)

  • Hwang, Won-Tae;Han, Moon-Hee;Jeong, Hyo-Joon;Kim, Eun-Han;Lee, Chang-Woo
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.27-34
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    • 2008
  • A Korean urban contamination model METRO-K (${\underline{M}}odel$ for ${\underline{E}}stimates$ the ${\underline{T}}ransient$ Behavior of ${\underline{R}}adi{\underline{O}}active$ Materials in the ${\underline{K}}orean$ Urban Environment, which is capable of calculating the exposure doses resulting from radioactive contamination in an urban environment, is taking part in a model testing program EMRAS (${\underline{E}}nvironmental$ ${\underline{M}}odelling$ for ${\underline{RA}}diation$ ${\underline{S}}afety$) oragnized by the IAEA (${\underline{I}}nternational$ ${\underline{A}}tomic$ ${\underline{E}}nergy$ ${\underline{A}}gency$). For radioactive contamination scenarios of Pripyat districts and a hypothetical RDD (${\underline{R}}adiological$ ${\underline{D}}ispersal$ ${\underline{D}}evice$), the predicted results using METRO-K were submitted to the EMRAS's Urban Contamination Working Group. In this paper, the predicted results for the contamination scenarios of a Pripyat district were shown in case of both without remediation measures and with ones. Comparing with the predictied results of the models that have taken part in EMRAS program, a feasibility for decision-making support of METRO-K was investigated. As a predicted result of METRO-K, to take immediately remediation measures following a radioactive contamination, if possible, might be one of the best ways to reduce exposure dose. It was found that the discrepancies of predicted results among the models are resulted from 1) modeling approaches and applied parameter values, 2) exposure pathways which are considered in models, 3) assumptions of assessor such as contamination surfaces which might affect to an exposure receptor and their sizes, 4) parameter values which are related with remediation measures applied through literature survey. It was indentified that a Korean urban contamination model METRO-K is a useful tool for dicision-making support through the participation of EMRAS program.

A Study on the Verification and Improvement to Locate and Determine the Radioactive Contamination Using a Whole Body Counter (전신계측기를 이용한 원전종사자 방사성오염 위치확인과 내부방사능 측정개선에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Hee-Geun;Kong, Tae-Young
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.37-42
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    • 2009
  • Whole body counters (WBCs) are used to monitor radiation workers for internal contamination of radionuclides at domestic nuclear power plants (NPPs). A WBC is a scintillation detector using sodium iodide (NaI) and provides the identification of inhaled radionuclide and the measurement of its internal radioactivity in a short time. However, it is often possible to estimate external contamination as internal contamination due to radionuclides attached to the skin of radiation workers and this leads to an excessively conservative estimation of radioactive contamination. In this study, several experiments using a WBC and the Korean humanoid phantom were performed to suggest the more systematic method of discrimination between external and internal contamination. Furthermore, a WBC geometry experiment was conducted to suggest the optimal WBC geometry in consideration of deposited areas inside the body for dominant radionuclides at NPPs. The procedure of measurement and estimation of internal radioactivity for radiation workers at NPPs was improved on the basis of experimental results. Thus, it is expected to prevent from estimating internal exposure dose conservatively owing to the application of accurate whole body counting program to NPPs.

A Study of Measuring the Surface Contamination for Patient's Clothes and Bedclothes after Ablation Therapy (방사성옥소 치료환자의 환의 및 침구류에 대한 표면오염 측정에 관한 고찰)

  • Moon, Jae-Seung;Park, Dae-Seong;Kim, Su-Keun;Jeong, Hee-Il
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.3-12
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    • 2008
  • Purpose: Contaminated clothes and bedclothes of patients by mouth or with excrement are produced after Radioisotope $^{131}I$ treatment. In this paper, patient's clothes and bedclothes contaminated by radioactivity measured and radioactive waste wish to calculate optimum storage period. Material and Methods: The whole area of patients' clothes and bedclothes measured 70 patients, 12 males and 58 females, who had radioisotope $^{131}I$ therapy between August 2005 and February 2006. Assuming contamination is evenly distributed, the radioscope used to measure up to social toleration level at 7 day intervals. Results: Each optimum storage period of control group of 60 case and non control group of 10 case were average $44{\pm}16$ days and $32{\pm}13$ days. Decontamination effect of surface contamination for radioactive waste was average $83.66{\pm}15.15%$. Conclusion: It is important that classify radioactive waste according to difference of surface contamination. Result of this research, handling radioactive waste in optimum storage period may be useful.

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A Model for Evaluating the Radioactive Contamination in the Urban Environment (도시환경에서 방사성물질의 오염평가 모델개발)

  • Hwang, Won-Tae;Kim, Eun-Han;Jeong, Hyo-Joon;Suh, Kyung-Suk;Han, Moon-Hee
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.99-105
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    • 2005
  • A model for evaluating radioactive contamination in the urban environment, named METRO-K, was developed as a basic step for accident consequence analysis in case of an accidental release. The three kind of radionuclides $(^{137}Cs,\;^{106}Ru,\;^{131}I)$ and the different chemical forms of iodine (particulate, organic and elemental forms) are considered in the model. The radioactive concentrations are evaluated for the five types of surface (roof, paved road, wall, lawn/soil, tree) as a function of time. Using the model, the contaminative impacts of the surfaces were intensively investigated with respect to with and without precipitation during the measurement periods of radionuclides in air. In addition, a practical application study was conducted using $^{137}Cs$ concentration in air and precipitation measured in an European country at the Chernobyl accident. As a result precipitation was an influential factor in surface contamination. The degree of contamination was strongly dependent on the types of radionuclide and surface. Precipitation was more influential in contamination of $^{137}Cs$ than that of $^{131}I$ (elemental form).

Survey of radioactive contamination in imported foodstuffs (수입 식품중의 방사능 오염실태 조사)

  • Lee, Wan-No;Lee, Haeng-Pil;Chung, Kun-Ho;Kim, Hee-Reyoung;Cho, Young-Hyun;Choi, Geun-Sik;Lee, Chang-Woo;Chung, Hyung-Wook;Lee, Eun-Ju;Sho, You-Sup;Lee, Jong-Ok
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.31 no.3
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    • pp.141-148
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    • 2006
  • Surveys of radioactive contamination were performed for imported foodstuffs in 2003. The following samples among imported foodstuffs were selected from markets and Korea Food and Drug Administration(KFDA); the imported samples from country associated with the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the samples produced around the nuclear power plants or nuclear tests, the foodstuffs reported as radioacitive contamination materials in foreign country. After pretreatments such as drying and homogenization, samples were analyzed. The $^{137}Cs$ radionuclide was only measured among the regulation radionuclides($^{137}Cs,\;^{134}Cs,\;^{131}I$) of food code. All foodstuffs except Inonotus Obliquus(Chaga mushooms) are less than 17.0 Bq/kg or below the minimum detectable activity(MDA). The activity concentrations of Chaga mushrooms from Russia ranged up to 131.25 Bq/ltg which is almost 35 % of the maximum permitted level of food code. The fraction of imported foodstuffs having meaningful radioactivity is small, however, the radioactive contamination survey of imported foodstuffs is still needed.

An Intercomparison of Model Predictions for an Urban Contamination Resulting from the Explosion of a Radiological Dispersal Device (도심에서 방사능분산장치의 폭발로 인한 피폭선량 예측결과의 상호비교)

  • Hwang, Won-Tae;Jeong, Hyo-Jun;Kim, Eun-Han;Han, Moon-Hee
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.39-47
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    • 2009
  • The METRO-K is a model for a radiological dose assessment due to a radioactive contamination in the Korean urban environment. The model has been taken part in the Urban Remediation Working Group within the IAEA's (International Atomic Energy Agency) EMRAS (${\mathbf{\underline{E}}}nvironmental$ ${\mathbf{\underline{M}}}odeling$ for ${\mathbf{\underline{RA}}}diation$ ${\mathbf{\underline{S}}}afety$) program. The Working Croup designed for the intercomparison of radioactive contamination to be resulted from the explosion of a radiological dispersal device in a hypothetical city. This paper dealt intensively with a part among a lot of predictive results which had been performed in the EMRAS program. The predictive results of three different models (METRO-K, RESRAD-RDD, CPHR) were submitted to the Working Group. The gap of predictive results was due to the difference of mathemathical modeling approaches, parameter values, understanding of assessors. Even if final results (for example, dose rates from contamintaed surfaces which might affect to a receptor) are similar, the understanding on the contribution of contaminated surfaces showed a great difference. Judging from the authors, it is due to the lack of understanding and information on radioactive terrors as well as the social and cultural gaps which assessors have been experienced. Therefore, it can be known that the experience of assessors and their subjective judgements might be important factors to get reliable results. If the acquisition of a little additional information is possible, it was identified that the METRO-K might be a useful tool for decision support against contamination resulting from radioactive terrors by improving the existing model.

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