• Title/Summary/Keyword: Radioactive Impact

Search Result 189, Processing Time 0.028 seconds

Impact of Nuclear Tests on Deforestation in North Korea using Google Earth-Based Spatial Images

  • Ki, Junghoon;Sung, Minki;Choi, Choongik
    • Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
    • /
    • v.22 no.6
    • /
    • pp.563-573
    • /
    • 2019
  • The North Korean government conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and more recently the sixth nuclear test on September 3, 2017. In order to identify how North Korea's nuclear tests have affected the environment, a scientific approach is required. Although North Korea's nuclear tests and their environmental destruction are not a severe threat to the environment of the Korean Peninsula at this time, identifying environmental damage and taking countermeasures in advance are essential to minimize their potential threats to the environments. The purpose of this study is to study the environmental impact of North Korea's nuclear tests using Google Earth image analysis. As a method of the study, we compare Google Earth images taken before and after each nuclear test was conducted in North Korea. To overcome limitations of the suggested comparison method, we cross-checked our results with those of previous scientific research. After the 1st-3rd nuclear tests, green spaces were found to be considerably reduced. In particular, when comparing the Google Earth images before and after the second nuclear test, some ground subsidences were observed. Such subsidences can cause tunnels on the mountainsides and cracks in rocks around the mountains, leading to the release of radioactive materials and contaminating groundwater. Besides, after the 4th-6th nuclear tests, decay and deforestation were observed not in the nuclear test sites, but in their surrounding areas. Especially after the 5th and 6th nuclear tests, the topography and the forests of the surrounding areas were severely damaged. In relation to North Korea's nuclear tests and their impact on the natural environment, we need to prepare various policy measures to reduce North Korea's environmental pollution and natural environment destruction. Those policy measures include the establishment of various cooperative governance between the Korean government, the private sector, the academia, NGOs, and international organizations.

Radionuclide-Specific Exposure Pathway Analysis of Kori Unit 1 Containment Building Surface

  • Byon, Jihyang;Park, Sangjune;Ahn, Seokyoung
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
    • /
    • v.18 no.3
    • /
    • pp.347-354
    • /
    • 2020
  • Site characterization for decommissioning Kori Unit 1 is ongoing in South Korea after 40 years of successful operation. Kori Unit 1's containment building is assumed to be mostly radioactively contaminated, and therefore radiation exposure management and detailed contamination investigation are required for decommissioning and dismantling it safely. In this study, site-specific Derived Concentration Guideline Levels (DCGLs) were derived using the residual radioactivity risk evaluation tool, RESRAD-BUILD code. A conceptual model of containment building for Kori Unit 1 was set up and limited occupational worker building inspection scenario was applied. Depending on the source location, the maximum contribution source and exposure pathway of each radionuclide were analyzed. The contribution of radionuclides to dose and exposure pathways, by source location, is expected to serve as basic data in the assessment criteria of survey areas and classification of impact areas during further decommissioning and decontamination of sites.

Ubiquitous Radioactivity Care System (유비쿼터스 방사성 CARE 시스템에 관한 보고서)

  • Jung, Chang-Duk;Park, Chan-Hyuk;Hwang, Sun-Il
    • 한국IT서비스학회:학술대회논문집
    • /
    • 2009.05a
    • /
    • pp.409-414
    • /
    • 2009
  • I have not seen each of the existing technology, RFID/USN technology combined with the wireless communication channel for the state of nuclear safety in real-time remote monitoring and operation system technology CARE existing radioactive accident information collected by the nuclear power and nuclear power status, 10-20 second intervals to monitor the safety network (SIDS), and nuclear power plants located on the site within 40 ㎞ radius around the 13~15 of the wind speed from the automatic weather network weather information such as rainfall and temperature every 10 minutes to collect as automatic weather network (REMDAS), Evaluation of atmospheric radiation and radiation of the bomb radiation impact assessment system to calculate the goodness (FADAS) and thicken the radiation-related information consists of real-time web technology to collect, the last robot on behalf of the human will to manage the nuclear power plant accident of the technology to prevent the concrete from the following narrative about to have.

  • PDF

The Prediction Methods of Iodine-129 release rate : Model Development

  • Park, Jin-Beak;Lee, Kun-Jai;Kang, Duck-Won;Shin, Sang-Woon;Park, Kyung-Rok
    • Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
    • /
    • 1995.05a
    • /
    • pp.879-884
    • /
    • 1995
  • The results of performance assessment analyses have shown that the long-lived radionuclides such as I-129 control the potential individual dose impact to the public. I-129 is difficult-to-measure(DTM) in low-level waste because it is non-gamma emitting radionuclides and exists at extremely low concentrations in radioactive waste generated by nuclear reactors. In this study, computer modeling technique to predict release rate of I-129 is developed to provide another tools far performance assessment of land disposal facilities and characteristics of radwaste. Model suggested in this study will give conservative values of I-129 release rate far determination of radwaste characteristics. More detailed approach is implemented to account for release conditions of fuel source-nuclides. 1-131 concentration measured from reactor coolant and released fraction from tramp fuel have dominant roles in calculating release rate of I-129 with fuel defect conditions.

  • PDF

THE IMPACT OF FUEL CYCLE OPTIONS ON THE SPACE REQUIREMENTS OF A HLW REPOSITORY

  • Kawata, Tomio
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.39 no.6
    • /
    • pp.683-690
    • /
    • 2007
  • Because of increasing concerns regarding global warming and the longevity of oil and gas reserves, the importance of nuclear energy as a major source of sustainable energy is gaining recognition worldwide. To make nuclear energy truly sustainable, it is necessary to ensure not only the sustainability of the fuel supply but also the sustained availability of waste repositories, especially those for high-level radioactive waste (HLW). From this perspective, the effort to maximize the waste loading density in a given repository is important for easing repository capacity problems. In most cases, the loading of a repository is controlled by the decay heat of the emplaced waste. In this paper, a comparison of the decay heat characteristics of HLW is made among the various fuel cycle options. It is suggested that, for a future fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle, the removal and burning of minor actinides (MA) would significantly reduce the heat load in waste and would allow for a reduction of repository size by half.

An Approach to Improve Romanian Geological Repository Planning

  • Andrei, Veronica;Prisecaru, Ilie
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.48 no.2
    • /
    • pp.495-504
    • /
    • 2016
  • International standards recommend typical phases to be included within any national program for the development of a geological repository dedicated to disposal of the high level radioactive wastes generated in countries using nuclear power. However, these are not universally applicable and the content of each of these phases may need to be adapted for each national situation and regulatory and institutional framework. Several national geological repository programs have faced failures in schedules and have revised their programs to consider an adapted phased management approach. The authors have observed that in the case of those countries in the early phases of a geological repository program where boundary conditions have not been fully defined, international recommendations for handling delays/failures in the national program might not immediately help. This paper considers a case study of the influences of the national context risks on the current planning schedule of the Romanian national geological repository. It proposes an optimum solution for an integrated response to any significant adverse impact arising from these risks, enabling sustainable program planning.

Groundwater Flow and Tritium Transport Modeling at Kori Nuclear Power Plant 1 Site (고리 1발전소 부지 내 지하수 유동 및 삼중수소 이동 모델링)

  • Sohn, Wook;Sohn, Soon-Hwan;Chon, Chul-Min;Kim, Kue-Yong
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
    • /
    • v.9 no.3
    • /
    • pp.149-159
    • /
    • 2011
  • Nuclear power utilities should establish a site-specific groundwater monitoring program for early detection of unplanned radioactive material's releases which can occur due to degradation of systems, structures and components of the nuclear power plants in order to keep the impact of the unplanned releases on the environment and the residents as low as reasonably achievable. For this end, groundwater flow on site should be evaluated based on characterization of the hydrogeology of a site of concern. This paper aims to provide data necessary for establishing groundwater monitoring program which is currently considered at Kori nuclear power plant 1 by characterizing groundwater flow system on the site based on the existing hydrogeological studies and related documents, and by modeling tritium transport. The results showed that the major groundwater flow direction was south-west and that most of groundwater entered a southern and eastern seas. Although the tritium plume also released into the sea, its rate was delayed by dewatering sump.

Multilateral Nuclear Approaches (MNAs), Factors and Issues Lessons from IAEA Study to Regional Cooperation (다자간 원자력 협력: 요소와 현안)

  • Hwang Yong-Soo
    • Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
    • /
    • 2005.06a
    • /
    • pp.56-66
    • /
    • 2005
  • In response to the increasing emphasis being placed on the importance of international cooperation as part of global efforts to cope with growing non proliferation, and security, concerns in the nuclear field, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, appointed an international group of experts to consider possible multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle. The mandate of the Expert Group was three fold: ${\bullet}$ To identify and provide an analysis of issues and options relevant to multilateral approaches to the front and back ends of the nuclear fuel cycle; ${\bullet}$ To provide an overview of the policy, legal, security, economic, institutional and technological incentives and disincentives for cooperation in multilateral arrangements for the front and back ends of the nuclear fuel cycle; and ${\bullet}$ To provide a brief review of the historical and current experiences and analyses relating to multilateral fuel cycle arrangements relevant to the work of the Expert Group. The overall purpose was to assess MNAs in the framework of a double objective: strengthening the international nuclear non proliferation regime and making the peaceful uses of nuclear energy more economical and attractive. The Group identifies options for MNAs - options in terms of policy, institutional and legal factors - for those parts of the nuclear fuel cycle of greatest sensitivity from the point of view of proliferation risk. It also reflects the Groups deliberations on the corresponding benefits and disadvantages (pros and cons) of the various options and approaches. Although the Expert Group was able to agree to forward the resulting report to the Director General, it is important to note that the report does not reflect agreement by all of the experts on any of the options, nor a consensus assessment of their respective value. It is intended only to present options for MNAs, and to reflect on the range of considerations which could impact on the desirability and feasibility of those options.

  • PDF

Safety Evaluation of a Shipping Capsule for Special Form Radioisotope (특수형 방사성 동위원소 운반캡슐의 안전성 평가)

  • Lee, Ju-Chan;Seo, Ki-Seog;Ku, Jeong-Hoe;Bang, Kyoung-Sik;Han, Hyon-Soo;Park, Seong-Won
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
    • /
    • v.26 no.1
    • /
    • pp.35-43
    • /
    • 2001
  • All of sealing capsules to transport a special form radioactive material should be designed and fabricated in accordance with the design criteria prescribed in IAEA standards and domestic regulations. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the safety of a shipping capsule for $^{192}Ir$ special form radioisotope which produced in the HANARO. The safety tests were carried out for the impact, percussion, bending and heat test conditions. And leakage tests were carried out before and after the each test. Also, the safety analyses wert performed using computer codes in order to verify the test results. The capsule showed slight scratches and deformation, and maintained its structural and thermal integrities in all tests without any severe damage or melting. It also met the allowable limits of leakage rate after each test. Therefore, it has been verified that the capsule was designed and fabricated to meet all requirements for the special form.

  • PDF

Radioactive cDNA microarray in Neurospsychiatry (신경정신 의학분야의 방사성동위원소 표지 cDNA 마이크로어레이)

  • Choe, Jae-Gol;Shin, Kyung-Ho;Lee, Min-Soo;Kim, Meyoung-Kon
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
    • /
    • v.37 no.1
    • /
    • pp.43-52
    • /
    • 2003
  • Microarray technology allows the simultaneous analysis of gene expression patterns of thousands of genes, in a systematic fashion, under a similar set of experimental conditions, thus making the data highly comparable. In some cases arrays are used simply as a primary screen loading to downstream molecular characterization of individual gene candidates. In other cases, the goal of expression profiling is to begin to identify complex regulatory networks underlying developmental processes and disease states. Microarrays were originally used with ceil lines or other simple model systems. More recently, microarrays have been used in the analysis of more complex biological tissues including neural systems and the brain. The application of cDNA arrays in neuropsychiatry has lagged behind other fields for a number of reasons. These include a requirement for a large amount of input probe RNA In fluorescent-glass based array systems and the cellular complexity introduced by multicellular brain and neural tissues. An additional factor that impacts the general use of microarrays in neuropsychiatry is the lack of availability of sequenced clone sets from model systems. While human cDNA clones have been widely available, high qualify rat, mouse, and drosophilae, among others are just becoming widely available. A final factor in the application of cDNA microarrays in neuropsychiatry is cost of commercial arrays. As academic microarray facilitates become more commonplace custom made arrays will become more widely available at a lower cost allowing more widespread applications. in summary, microarray technology is rapidly having an impact on many areas of biomedical research. Radioisotope-nylon based microarrays offer alternatives that may in some cases be more sensitive, flexible, inexpensive, and universal as compared to other array formats, such as fluorescent-glass arrays. In some situations of limited RNA or exotic species, radioactive membrane microarrays may be the most practical experimental approach in studying psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, and other complex questions in the brain.