• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.533-540
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• 2022

Because of the massive development of nuclear power plants in China in recent years, China is facing the challenge of radioactive waste disposal. China has established complete regulatory requirements for radioactive waste disposal, but it also has encountered problems and challenges in low-level radioactive waste disposal in terms of management, selection of disposal facility sites, and implementation of a site selection plan. Three low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities that have been operated in China are described, and their activity limits, locations, and capacities are also outlined. The connotations of "regional" and "centralized" disposal policies are discussed in light of the characteristics of the radioactive waste. The characteristics and advantages of the regional and centralized disposal policies are compared. It is concluded that the regional disposal policy adopted in 1992 can no longer meet the current disposal needs, and China should adopt a combination of the two disposal policies to solve the problem of radioactive waste disposal.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.65-82
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• 2017

방사성폐기물 발생기관의 가용데이터를 기반으로 산출된 핵종재고량을 적용하여 예비안전성평가를 수행한 결과 처분안전성과 운영측면에서 많은 어려움이 예상됨을 확인하였다. 본 논문에서는 전체처분시설 예비안전성평가를 수행하였으며, 평가결과 성능목표치 초과핵종에 대해 방사능량이 큰 비중을 차지하는 단위포장물을 선별하고, 높은 표면선량률의 포장물을 처분대상에서 제외하는 방식으로 처분시설의 처분방사능량제한을 도입하였다. 처분방사능량제한은 안전기준 만족을 위한 처분시설별 인수기준과 처분기준 설정에 기초자료로 활용할 것이며, 경주 처분시설의 안전한 종합개발계획수립 및 처분시설의 안전성 최적화를 위한 Safety Case 구축에 기여할 것으로 판단된다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.367-384
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• 2016

고준위방사성폐기물 심층처분에서 처분안전성의 신뢰도를 향상시킬 수 있는 방안으로 그리고 처분 프로그램 개발 및 인허가를 위해 많은 나라들에서 자국에 적합한 safety case를 개발하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 방사성폐기물 처분을 위한 safety case의 의의, 필요성, 개발과정들을 정리하고 소개하였다. 그리고 처분안전성을 safety case의 다양한 측면에서 논의하였다. 아울러 스위스, 일본, 미국, 스웨덴, 핀란드 등 해외의 safety case 개발 현황과 현재 KAERI에서 개발 중인 safety case의 개발 전략을 간략히 소개하였다. 고준위방사성폐기물 처분안전성의 신뢰도 향상을 위해 safety case 기반 하에서 어떤 노력들이 필요한지를 분석하였다. 그리고 국내 상황을 반영하여 신뢰할 수 있는 정보자료의 구축, 안전성 관련 과정들의 이해, 안전성평가의 불확실성 저감, 이해당사자와의 의사소통, 공정성과 투명성 확보 등의 실행 방안을 제안하고 논의하였다. 본 논문에 제시된 내용들은 심층처분 safety case를 이해하고, 국내에서 개발하고 있는 고준위방사성폐기물 처분 safety case 개발을 통한 처분안전성 신뢰도 향상에 기여할 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.477-492
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• 2009

In this paper, we discuss the experiences during the preparation of the Wolsong Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Center. These experiences have importance as a first implementation for the national LILW disposal facility in the Republic of Korea. As for the progress, it relates to the area of selected disposal site, the disposal site characteristics, waste characteristics of the disposal facility, safety assessment, and licensing process. During these experiences, we also discuss the necessity for new organization and change for a radioactive waste management system. Further effort for the safe management of radioactive waste needs to be pursued.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.13-22
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• 2022

The decommissioning of a nuclear power plant generates large amounts of radioactive waste, which is of several types. Radioactive concrete powder is classified as low-level waste, which can be disposed of in a landfill. However, its safe disposal in a landfill requires that it be immobilized by solidification using cement. Herein, a safety assessment on the disposal of solidified radioactive concrete powder waste in a conceptual landfill site is performed using RESRAD. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses of certain selected input parameters are conducted to investigate their impact on exposure doses. The exposure doses are estimated, and the relative impact of each pathway on them during the disposal of this waste is assessed. The results of this study can be used to obtain information for designing a landfill site for the safe disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated from the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.511-521
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• 2022

Decommissioning of nuclear power plants generates a large amount of radioactive waste in a short period. Moreover, Radioactive waste has various forms including a large volumes of metal, concrete, and solid waste. The disposal of decommissioning waste using 200 L drums is inefficient in terms of economics, work efficiency, and radiation safety. Therefore, The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency is developing large containers for the packaging, transportation, and disposal of decommissioning waste. Assessing disposability considering the characteristics of the radioactive waste and facility, convenience of operation, and safety of workers is necessary. In this study, the exposure dose rate of workers during the disposal of new containers was evaluated using Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code. Six normal and four abnormal scenarios were derived for the assessment of the dose rate in a near surface disposal facility operation. The results showed that the calculated dose rates in all normal scenarios were lower than the direct exposure dose limitation of workers in the safety analysis report. In abnormal scenarios, the work hours with dose rates below 20 mSv·y^-1 were calculated. The results of this study will be useful in establishing the optimal radiation work conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.459-482
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• 2006

A geochemical approach to the long-term safety of waste disposal is discussed in connection with the significance of actinides, which shall deliver the major radioactivity inventory subsequent to the relatively short-term decay of fission products. Every power reactor generates transuranic (TRU) elements: plutonium and minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm), which consist chiefly of long-lived nuclides emitting alpha radiation. The amount of TRU actinides generated in a fuel life period is found to be relatively small (about 1 wt% or less in spent fuel) but their radioactivity persists many hundred thousands years. Geological confinement of waste containing TRU actinides demands, as a result, fundamental knowledge on the geochemical behavior of actinides in the repository environment for a long period of time. Appraisal of the scientific progress in this subject area is the main objective of the present paper. Following the introductory discussion on natural radioactivities, the nuclear fuel cycle is briefly brought up with reference to actinide generation and waste disposal. As the long-term disposal safety concerns inevitably with actinides, the significance of the aquatic actinide chemistry is summarized in two parts: the fundamental properties relevant to their aquatic behavior and the geochemical reactions in nanoscopic scale. The constrained space of writing allows discussion on some examples only, for which topics of the primary concern are selected, e.g. apparent solubility and colloid generation, colloid-facilitated migration, notable speciation of such processes, etc. Discussion is summed up to end with how to make a geochemical approach available for the long-term disposal safety of nuclear waste or for the performance assessment (PA) as known generally.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.385-410
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• 2016

경주 방사성폐기물 처분시설은 향후 80만 포장물을 처분할 계획이며 다양한 처분방식 및 관리형태를 가진 복합계가 될 것이다. 본 논문에서는 전체부지 처분용량(80만 포장물) 처분시설의 단계별 개발에 따른 영향을 평가하기 위하여 처분시설 종합개발계획(안)에 따른 예비안전성평가를 수행하였다. 각 시나리오에 대한 안전성평가결과 처분시설의 성능목표치를 만족하였다. 다만, 전체처분시설의 안전성 평가결과에 중준위 방사성폐기물로 인하여 1단계 동굴 처분시설이 가장 크게 영향을 미치므로 처분시설의 안전성 향상을 위하여 처분방사능량제한 설정 등 관리방안이 필요하다. Safety Case 단계별 구축을 통하여 중 저준위 방사성폐기물 처분시설 종합개발 과정에서 인지된 불확실성을 저감하여 안전성을 증진 시킬 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.335-344
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• 2014

우리나라 중 저준위 방사성폐기물의 처분시설개발을 위해 Safety Case 종합프로그램을 구축하였다. Safety Case 종합프로그램은 단계별 처분시설 종합개발을 위한 안전성판단과 계획수립을 목적으로 IAEA 등 국제기준을 참고하여 국내 환경에 적합하도록 구축하였다. 처분시설 종합안전성 확보체계는 최적화전략, 강건성전략, 논증가능성전략 및 심층방어전략에 따라 안전목표와 안전원칙을 만족하도록 구성하였다. 처분시설의 안전성은 평가기반의 품질에 따라 불확실성 저감을 위한 단계별 안전성평가와 안전성 수준의 확인 및 의사결정판단을 위한 다양한 신뢰성증진을 통해서 확보하도록 하였다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.6-11
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• 2010

Embodying the safety of radioactive waste disposal requires the relevant safety criteria and the corresponding stylized methods to demonstrate its compliance with the criteria. This paper proposes a conceptual model of risk-based safety evaluation for integrating complex potential radiation exposure situations in radioactive waste disposal. For demonstrating compliance with a risk constraint, the approach deals with important exposure scenarios from the viewpoint of the receptor to estimate the resulting risk. For respective exposure situations, it considers the occurrence probabilities of the relevant exposure scenarios as their probability of giving rise to doses to estimate the total risk to a representative person by aggregating the respective risks. In this model, an exposure scenario is simply constructed with three components:radionuclide release, radionuclide migration and environment contamination, and interaction between the contaminated media and the receptor. A set of exposure scenarios and the representative person are established from reasonable combinations of the components, based on a balance of their occurrence probabilities and the consequences. In addition, the probability of an exposure scenario is estimated on the assumption that the initiating external factors influence release mechanisms and transport pathways, and its effect on the interaction between the environment and the receptor may be covered in terms of the representative person. This integrated approach enables a systematic risk assessment for complex exposure situations of radioactive waste disposal and facilitates the evaluation of compliance with risk constraints.