• Title/Summary/Keyword: UNSCEAR

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CLARIFYING THE PARADIGM ON RADIATION EFFECTS & SAFETY MANAGEMENT: UNSCEAR REPORT ON ATTRIBUTION OF EFFECTS AND INFERENCE OF RISKS

  • Gonzalez, Abel J.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.467-474
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    • 2014
  • The aim of this paper is to describe a relatively recent international agreement on the widely debated concepts of: (i) attributing effects to low dose radiation exposure situations that have occurred in the past and, (ii) inferring radiation risk to situations that are planned to occur in the future. An important global consensus has been recently achieved on these fundamental issues at the level of the highest international intergovernmental body: the General Assembly of the United Nations. The General Assembly has welcomed with appreciation a scientific report on attributing health effects to radiation exposure and inferring risks that had been prepared the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) following a formal request by the General Assembly.

Effective Dose Equivalent due to Inhalation of Indoor Radon-222 Daughters in Korea (한국인의 라돈-222 자핵종 호흡 실효선량당량 평가)

  • Chang, Si-Young;Ha, Chung-Woo;Lee, Byoung-Hun
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.1-13
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    • 1991
  • Effective dose equivalents resulting from inhalation of indoor radon-222 daughters at 12 residential areas in Korea were assessed by a simple mathematical lung dosimetry model based on the measurements of long-term averaged radon concentrations at 340 dwellings. The long-term averaged indoor radon-222 concentrations and corresponding eqilibrium equivalent radon $concentration(EEC_{Rn})$ measured by passive time-integrating CR-39 radon cups are in the range of $33.82{\sim}61.42Bq/m^3(median\;:\;48.90Bq/m^3)$ and of $13.53{\sim}24.57Bq/m^3(median\;:\;19.55Bq/m^3)$, respectively. The effective dose equvalent conversion factor for the exposure to unit $EEC_{Rn}$ derived in this study was estimated $1.07{\times}10^{-5}mSv/Bq\;h\;m^{-3}$ for a reference adult and agreed well with those recommended by the ICRP and UNSCEAR. The annual average dose equivalent to the lung $(H_{LUNG})$ from inhalation exposure to measured $EEC_{Rn}$ was estimated to be 20.90 mSv and resulting effective dose $equivalent(H_E)$ was to be 1.25 mSv, which is about 50% of the natural radiation exposure of 2.40 mSv/y to the public reported by the UNSCEAR.

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방사선과 건강영향 - UN과학위원회 1982년 보고서

  • 한국원자력산업회의
    • Nuclear industry
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    • no.1112 s.10
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    • pp.52-55
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    • 1982
  • $\lceil$원자방사선의 영향에 관한 UN과학위원회$\rfloor$ (UNSCEAR)는 최근 1982년 보고서를 정리했다. UN과학위원회의 보고서는 환경중의 방사성물질수준, 방사선의 신체적${\cdot}$유전적 영향 및 방사선의 위험도에 관한 가장 포괄적인 보고서로 평가받고 있다. 이번 보고서는 77년이 보고서이후 5년만에 나온 것으로서 최신 데이터를 수록하고 있다.

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Recent Trend of Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation in Korea, 2015-2019

  • Lim, Young Khi
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.213-217
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    • 2021
  • Background: Radiation exposure can occur as a result of occupational activities utilizing sources of radiation. The average level of occupational exposure is generally similar to the global average, but some workers receive more than this. In this study, the occupational exposure data for workers in Korea to check the recent trend of radiation exposure. Materials and Methods: The data collection and analysis are carried out by two separate periods based on the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) survey. One is the year 2003 to 2014 for a recent survey, and the other is 2015 to 2019. All available data were collected by annual reports from radiation dose registry organizations. Results and Discussion: The annual dose over the record level to the total workers did not change much compared with the total increasing number of workers in this period. The dose to the nuclear fuel cycle field has a tendency to decrease. It resulted from the efforts of radiation dose reduction with high technology introduced to this area. Also, it is important result that the radiation dose to the workers in radiography is remarkably reduced. Conclusion: The number of radiation workers and average doses were analyzed for occupational categories in Korea. It still needs cooperative efforts between the dose registry organizations for the efficient dose management of Korean radiation workers.

방사선은 해로운가?

  • 하성환
    • The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.1-7
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    • 1997
  • 다량의 방사선에 피폭되는 경우 인체에 해로운 영향을 미치는 것은 틀림이 없으나 미량의 방사선인 경우에는 다량의 방사선인 경우와 다른 효과를 나타내며 심지어 정반대의 영향을 나타내기도 한다고 볼 수 있으며 여러 역학조사에서 이러한 사실이 증명되고 있다. 1991년의 국제방사선방어기구(ICRP) 보고서 및 1994년의 UNSCEAR 보고서는 미량의 방사선에 대한 적응반응을 인정하고 있다. 일부 학자들은 소량의 방사선에 지속적으로 피폭(연간 1 rem)됨으로써 암사망률을 감소시킬 수 있다고 주장하면서 현재의 개념을 수정하여 피폭한계 및 법적 제한 등을 변경하여 환경방사능을 증가시킴으로써 향후 인류의 생활의 질을 향상시켜야 한다고 주장하고 있다.

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Individual Doses to the Public after the Fukushima Nuclear Accident

  • Ishikawa, Tetsuo
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.45 no.2
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    • pp.53-68
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    • 2020
  • Background: International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) reported public exposure doses due to radionuclides released in the Fukushima nuclear accident a few years after the event. However, the reported doses were generally overestimated due to conservative assumptions such as a longer stay in deliberate areas designated for evacuation than the actual stay. After these reports had been published, more realistic dose values were reported by Japanese scientists. Materials and Methods: The present paper reviews those reports, including the most recently published articles; and summarizes estimated effective doses (external and internal) and issues related to their estimation. Results and Discussion: External dose estimation can be categorized as taking two approaches-estimation from ambient dose rate and peoples' behavior patterns-and measurements using personal dosimeters. The former approach was useful for estimating external doses in an early stage after the accident. The first 4-month doses were less than 2 mSv for most (94%) study subjects. Later on, individual doses came to be monitored by personal dosimeter measurements. On the basis of these measurements, the estimated median annual external dose was reported to be < 1 mSv in 2011 for 22 municipalities of Fukushima Prefecture. Internal dose estimation also can be categorized as taking two approaches: estimation from whole-body counting and estimation from monitoring of environmental samples such as radioactivity concentrations in food and drinking water. According to results by the former approach, committed effective dose due to 134Cs and 137Cs could be less than 0.1 mSv for most residents including those from evacuated areas. Conclusion: Realistic doses estimated by Japanese scientists indicated that the doses reported by WHO and UNSCEAR were generally overestimated. Average values for the first-year effective doses for residents in two affected areas (Namie Town and Iitate Village) were not likely to reach 10 mSv, the lower end of the doses estimated by WHO.

A Comparative Review of Radiation-induced Cancer Risk Models

  • Lee, Seunghee;Kim, Juyoul;Han, Seokjung
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.42 no.2
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    • pp.130-140
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    • 2017
  • Background: With the need for a domestic level 3 probabilistic safety assessment (PSA), it is essential to develop a Korea-specific code. Health effect assessments study radiation-induced impacts; in particular, long-term health effects are evaluated in terms of cancer risk. The objective of this study was to analyze the latest cancer risk models developed by foreign organizations and to compare the methodology of how they were developed. This paper also provides suggestions regarding the development of Korean cancer risk models. Materials and Methods: A review of cancer risk models was carried out targeting the latest models: the NUREG model (1993), the BEIR VII model (2006), the UNSCEAR model (2006), the ICRP 103 model (2007), and the U.S. EPA model (2011). The methodology of how each model was developed is explained, and the cancer sites, dose and dose rate effectiveness factor (DDREF) and mathematical models are also described in the sections presenting differences among the models. Results and Discussion: The NUREG model was developed by assuming that the risk was proportional to the risk coefficient and dose, while the BEIR VII, UNSCEAR, ICRP, and U.S. EPA models were derived from epidemiological data, principally from Japanese atomic bomb survivors. The risk coefficient does not consider individual characteristics, as the values were calculated in terms of population-averaged cancer risk per unit dose. However, the models derived by epidemiological data are a function of sex, exposure age, and attained age of the exposed individual. Moreover, the methodologies can be used to apply the latest epidemiological data. Therefore, methodologies using epidemiological data should be considered first for developing a Korean cancer risk model, and the cancer sites and DDREF should also be determined based on Korea-specific studies.

Effective Doses Estimated According to Characteristics of Airborne Radon and Thoron Levels Generated from Some Household Products (일부 생활용품에서 발생한 공기 중 라돈과 토론의 발생 특성 및 연간 유효선량 추정)

  • Park, Dong-Uk;Yi, Seongjin;Kim, So-Yeon;Kwak, Hyunseok;Lee, Seunghee;Park, Jihoon
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.45 no.2
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    • pp.99-112
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    • 2019
  • Objective: This study aims to analyze the characteristics of airborne radon and thoron level ($Bq/m^3$) generated from household products containing monazites, and estimate the effective doses (mSv/yr). Method: Radon & Thoron detector EQF3220 was used to monitor real-time airborne radon and thoron level ($Bq/m^3$), and their daughters ($Bq/m^3$) were recorded every two hours. Effective doses (mSv/yr) for radon and thoron were estimated according to models developed by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). Results: The average levels of radon and thoron were $87.8Bq/m^3$ (range; $20.8-156.3Bq/m^3$) and $1,347.5Bq/m^3$ (range; $4-5,839.7Bq/m^3$), respectively. The average equilibrium factors (F) were 0.23 and 0.007, respectively. The levels of radon progeny were far higher than that thoron. Latex mattress showed the highest F (0.38). The average effective doses were estimated to be ICRP (1.9 mSv/yr) and UNSCER (1.3 mSv/yr) for radon and UNSCEAR (1.6 mSv/yr) for thoron. Conclusions: Our results have far exceeded the allowable effective dose for general population (1 mSv/yr). The government's actions such as the ban of use of consumer products containing monazite and the establishment of surveillance system to evaluate health effects for the people affected should be taken as early as possible.

Study on the Improvement of the Radiation Work Field Classification System in Republic of Korea (국내 방사선종사자 피폭 분류체계 개선에 관한 연구)

  • Su-Hui Park;Ji-Young Han;Yong-Min Kim
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.267-275
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    • 2023
  • Occupational exposure records are subject of global interest, and analysis of radiation workers in work categories is being conducted. In Rep. of Korea, according to relevant ministries, the MOHW(Ministry of Health and Welfare), the MAFRA(Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), and the NSSC(Nuclear Safety and Security Commission) collect and analyze records of occupational exposure by dividing them into 11 work categories. However, this classification system lacks consistency with the systems of major countries, including the UNSCEAR(United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation). The domestic radiation work field classification system does not have clear classification criteria and does not reflect the characteristics of the radiation work field. Through the analysis of the classification system of the UNSCEAR, we suggested the five main categories(nuclear cycle, medical, industrial, others(education/research, military/public) field and several sub-categories according to each radiation work field.

Activity concentrations and radiological hazard assessments of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs in soil samples obtained from the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Science, Korea

  • Jieun Lee;HyoJin Kim;Yong Uk Kye; Dong Yeon Lee;Wol Soon Jo;Chang Geun Lee;Jeung Kee Kim;Jeong-Hwa Baek;Yeong-Rok Kang
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.55 no.7
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    • pp.2388-2394
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    • 2023
  • The radioactivity concentration of environmental radionuclides was analyzed for soil and sand at eight locations within a radius of 255 m centered on the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Science (DIRAMS), Korea. The average activity concentrations of 40K, 137Cs, 226Ra, and 232Th were 661.1 Bq/kg-dry, 0.9 Bq/kg-dry, 21.9 Bq/kg-dry, and 11.1 Bq/kg-dry, respectively. The activity of 40K and 137Cs was lower than the 3-year (2017-2019) average reported by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, respectively. Due to the nature of granite-rich soil, the radioactivity of 40K was 0.6-fold higher than in other countries, while 137Cs was in the normal fluctuation range (15-30 Bq/kg-dry) of the concentration of radioactive fallout from nuclear tests. The activity of 226Ra and 232Th was lower than in Korean soils reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The average activity concentrations of 232Th and 40K for the soil and sand samples from DIRAMS were within the range specified by UNSCEAR in 2000. The radium equivalent activity and internal and external hazard index values were below the recommended limits (1 mSv/y). These radionuclide concentration (226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs) data can be used for regional environmental monitoring and ecological impact assessments of nuclear power plant accidents.