• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2021

The buffer is a key component of an engineered barrier system that safeguards the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Buffers are located between disposal canisters and host rock, and they can restrain the release of radionuclides and protect canisters from the inflow of ground water. Since considerable heat is released from a disposal canister to the surrounding buffer, the thermal conductivity of the buffer is a very important parameter in the entire disposal safety. For this reason, a lot of research has been conducted on thermal conductivity prediction models that consider various factors. In this study, the thermal conductivity of a buffer is estimated using the machine learning methods of: linear regression, decision tree, support vector machine (SVM), ensemble, Gaussian process regression (GPR), neural network, deep belief network, and genetic programming. In the results, the machine learning methods such as ensemble, genetic programming, SVM with cubic parameter, and GPR showed better performance compared with the regression model, with the ensemble with XGBoost and Gaussian process regression models showing best performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.257-263
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• 2021

This study derives the relative cross-section for the natW(p,xn)176Re nuclear reaction by measuring the gamma rays generated from the nuclear reaction with natural tungsten using a 100 MeV linear accelerator of the Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. In general, research on isotopes with a short half-life always shows a tendency that the intensity of radioactivity decreases rapidly within a short period of time, making it very difficult to measure itself. In particular, 176Re is one of the relatively short radionuclides with a half-life of 5.3 minutes. In this study, 109.08 keV gamma rays generated from the 176Re isotope having such a short half-life were measured using a high-purity Ge detector(HPGe detector). The obtained relative measurements were the results in the 8 to 14 MeV proton energy domain published by Richard G. in 1967, and the TENDL-2019 value, which was the result of A. J. Koning in 2019, which evaluated the nuclear reaction cross-section by calculation based on this comparative analysis was performed. The results of this study are expected to be usefully applied to the design of nuclear fusion reactor which is known as future energy sources, elements ratio for the nuclear synthesis of astrophysics.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.577-588
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• 2020

We evaluated the distributions of primordial radionuclides and effective dose rate of the Ogcheon Group, which includes rocks with high uranium content. Terrestrial gamma radiation was measured at 421 points using a portable gamma ray spectrometer. Dividing the study area into five geological units (og1, og2, og3, og4, and igneous rocks) revealed no significant difference in the concentration of surface radioactivity among the types. The concentrations of 40K, eU, and eTh for all samples ranged from 0.7% to 10.3% (average 5.2%), 0.6 to 287.0 ppm (average 8.5 ppm), and 4.0 to 102.4 ppm (average 31.3 ppm), respectively. The absorbed dose rate in the study area (calculated from the activity concentrations of 40K, eU, and eTh) was in the range of 28.84 to 1,714.5 nGy/h (average 195.4 nGy/h). Among the five geological units, the lowest average was 166.3 nGy/h (for og1) and the highest average was 233.3 nGy/h (for og2; median 198.1 nGy/h). The outdoor effective dose rate for the area obtained from the absorbed dose rate was in the range of 0.04 to 2.10 mSv/y (average 0.24 mSv/y). Except for the four sites located in the uranium-bearing coal bed of og2, none of the studied sites exceeded 1 mSv/y.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2022

Background: The radionuclide inventory calculation codes such as ORIGEN and FISPACT collapse neutron reaction libraries with energy spectra and generate an effective one-group cross-section. Since the nuclear cross-section data, energy group (g) structure, and other input details used by the two codes are different, there may be differences in each code's activation inventory calculation results. In this study, the calculation results of neutron-induced activation inventory using ORIGEN and FISPACT were compared and analyzed regarding radioactive waste classification and worker exposure during nuclear decommissioning. Materials and Methods: Two neutron spectra were used to obtain the comparison results: Watt fission spectrum and thermalized energy spectrum. The effective one-group cross-sections were generated for each type of energy group structure provided in ORIGEN and FISPACT. Then, the effective one-group cross-sections were analyzed by focusing on ⁵⁹Ni, ⁶³Ni, ⁹⁴Nb, ⁶⁰Co, ¹⁵²Eu, and ¹⁵⁴Eu, which are the main radionuclides of stainless steel, carbon steel, zircalloy, and concrete for decommissioning nuclear power plant (NPP). Results and Discussion: As a result of the analysis, ¹⁵⁴Eu and ⁵⁹Ni may be overestimated or underestimated depending on the code selection by up to 30%, because the cross-section library used for each code is different. When ORIGEN-44g, -49g, and -238g structures are selected, the differences of the calculation results of effective one-group cross-section according to group structure selection were less than 1% for the six nuclides applied in this study, and when FISPACT-69g, -172g, and -315g were applied, the difference was less than 1%, too. Conclusion: ORIGEN and FISPACT codes can be applied to activation calculations with their own built-in energy group structures for decommissioning NPP. Since the differences in calculation results may occur depending on the selection of codes and energy group structures, it is appropriate to properly select the energy group structure according to the accuracy required in the calculation and the characteristics of the problem.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.219-229
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• 2022

Bentonite is being considered as a candidate for buffer material in geological disposal systems for high-level radioactive wastes. In this study, the effect of cement-bentonite interactions on bentonite alteration was investigated by reviewing the literature on studies of cement-bentonite interactions. The major bentonite alteration by hyperalkaline fluids produced by the interaction of cementitious materials with groundwater includes cation exchange, montmorillonite dissolution, secondary mineral precipitation, and illitization. When the hyperalkaline leachate from the reaction of the cementitious material with the groundwater comes into contact with bentonite, montmorillonite, the main component of bentonite, is dissolved and a small amount of secondary minerals such as zeolite, calcium silicate hydrate, and calcite is produced. When montmorillonite is continuously dissolved, the physicochemical properties of bentonite may change, which may ultimately causes changes in bentonite performance as a buffer material such as adsorption capacity, swelling capacity, and hydraulic conductivity. In addition, the bentonite alteration is affected by various factors such as temperature, reaction period, pressure, composition of pore water, bentonite constituent minerals, chemical composition of montmorillonite, and types of interlayer cations. This study can be used as basic information for the long-term stability verification study of the buffer material in the geological disposal system for high-level radioactive wastes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.3250-3259
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• 2022

A new approach to the use of rice straw as a difficult-to-recycle agricultural waste was proposed. Potassium aluminosilicate was obtained by spark plasma sintering as an effective material for subsequent immobilization of ¹³⁷Cs into a solid-state matrix. The sorption properties of potassium aluminosilicate to ¹³⁷Cs from aqueous solutions were studied. The effect of the synthesis temperature on the phase composition, microstructure, and rate of cesium leaching from samples obtained at 800-1000 ℃ and a pressure of 25 MPa was investigated. It was shown that the positive dynamics of compaction was characteristic of glass ceramics throughout the sintering. Glass ceramics RS-(K,Cs)AlSi₃O₈ obtained by the SPS method at 1000 ℃ for 5 min was characterized by a high density of ~2.62 g/cm³, Vickers hardness ~ 2.1 GPa, compressive strength ~231.3 MPa and the rate of cesium ions leaching of ~1.37 × 10^-7 g cm^-2·day^-1. The proposed approach makes it possible to safe dispose of rice straw and reduce emissions into the atmosphere of microdisperse amorphous silica, which is formed during its combustion and causes respiratory diseases, including cancer. In addition, the obtained is perspective to solve the problem of recycling long-lived ¹³⁷Cs radionuclides formed during the operation of nuclear power plants into solid-state matrices.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.231-242
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• 1976

The effects of temperature and pressure of leaching water on the leaching of radionuclides from bitumen-waste products were studied. The principal results are as follows: The fraction of $^{90}$ Sr and $^{137}$ Cs leached for periods of up to 120 days at 8atm was 2.1$\times$10$^{-6}$ ($\textrm{cm}^2$/g)$^{-1}$ , day$^{-1}$ and 6.02$\times$10$^{-5}$ ($\textrm{cm}^2$/g)$^{-1}$ day$^{-1}$ respectively and at 5$^{\circ}C$, 1.7$\times$10$^{-5}$ ($\textrm{cm}^2$/g)$^{-1}$ day$^{-1}$ and 4.01$\times$10$^{-5}$ ($\textrm{cm}^2$/g)$^{-1}$ day$^{-1}$ respectively. These values were lower than those in atmospheric pressure and room temperature. No diffence in the leaching rate with sea and distilled water was observed for the bitumen-waste products containing 40wt% salts. It appears that these results could be saved by improving safety in the dumping of sea. The effect of the softening point of pure asphalt or bitumen-waste product by $^{60}$ Co irradiation was increased with increasing total dose. Irradiation of asphalts at a total dose of 5.8$\times$10$^{8}$ rad showed no evidence of volume and caused no swelling. The functional groups of blown asphalt by infrared spectra are also identified.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.42-56
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• 2023

In deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), the natural barrier must physically support the disposal facility and delay the movement of radionuclides for at least hundreds of thousands of years. To evaluate the long-term geological evolution of the natural barriers, it is essential to analyze the long-term behavior of rock joints, including the frictional healing behavior. This study aimed to experimentally analyze the frictional healing behavior of rock joints under hydro-mechanical (H-M) conditions through the slide-hold-slide (SHS) test. The SHS tests were performed under mechanical and H-M conditions for joint specimens of different roughness. In the H-M conditions, the frictional healing rate tended to increase, which was more evident in the specimens with large roughness. In addition, it was confirmed that the effect of the hydro-mechanical conditions was more significant when the effective normal stress acting on the joint surface was small. These results are expected to be used as fundamental data to understand the frictional healing behavior of rock joints in the natural barriers.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.204-213
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• 2022

Background: The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant increased the level of anxiety related to the radioactive contamination of various foods sourced in Japan. Particularly, after the accident, the detection of artificial radionuclides in locally produced foods raised food safety concerns. In this study, the radioactivity concentrations and annual ingestions of ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in food products commonly and frequently consumed by the general public were investigated, and the annual effective dose of each was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The 2016-2018 data from the Radiation Safety Management Report released by the Korea Nuclear Safety Technology Center was referenced for the evaluation of the amounts of ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs contained in food. Using the food-ingestion survey mentioned above as a reference, we selected 62 foods to include in our radioactivity concentration and dose assessment. We also developed a questionnaire and evaluated the responses from the subjects who answered the questionnaire. Results and Discussion: The radioactivity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs was found to be close to or below the level of minimum detectable activity. Additionally, the annual ingestion of 62 foods was 294.77 kg/yr, the effective doses from ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs were 136.4 and 0.163 μSv/yr, respectively. Conclusion: Thus, the findings confirmed that the effective dose from ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in food tends to be lower than the effective dose limit of 1 mSv/yr suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 60. The questionnaire developed in this study is expected to be useful for estimating the annual effective dose status of Korean adults who consume foods containing ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.251-261
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• 2023

Background: This paper deals with the study of natural radioactivity in rocks from Ogun State in Southwestern Nigeria. The aim is to determine radiation emissions from rocks in order to estimate radiation hazard indices. Objectives: The following objectives were targeted: 1. To determine radiation emissions from each type of rocks; 2. To estimate radiation hazard indices based on the rocks; 3. To correlate the activity concentrations of radionuclides with major oxides. Methods: The samples were analyzed using a NaI (Tl) gamma ray spectrometric detector and PerkinElmer AAnalyst 400 AAS spectrometer. Results: The activity of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, and ²³²Th were found in order of decreasing magnitude from pegmatite>granite>migmatite. In contrast, lower concentrations were found in shale, phosphate, clay stone, sandstone and limestone. The mean absorbed doses were 125±23 nGyh^-1 (migmatite), 74±13 nGy/h (granite), 72±13 nGyh^-1 (pegmatite), 64±09 nGyh^-1 (quartzite), 45±16 nGyh^-1 (shale), 41±09 nGyh^-1 (limestone), 41±11 nGyh^-1 (clay stone), 24±03 nGyh^-1 (phosphate), and 21±10 nGyh^-1 (sandstone). The outdoor effective dose rates in all rock samples were slightly higher than the world average dose value of 0.34 mSvy^-1. The percentage composition of SiO₂ in the rock samples was above 50 wt% except for in the limestone, shale and phosphate. Al₂O₃ ranged from 4.10~21.24 wt%, Fe₂O₃ from 0.39~7.5 wt%, and CaO from 0.09-46.6 wt%. In addition, Na₂O and K₂O were present in at least 5 wt%. Other major oxides, including TiO₂, P₂O₅, K₂O, MnO, MgO and Na₂O were depleted. Conclusions: The findings suggest that Ogun State may be described as a region with elevated background radiation. It is recommended that houses should be constructed with good cross ventilation and residences should use home radiation monitoring instruments to monitor radon emanating from walls.