• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제45권3호
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• pp.142-146
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• 2020

Background: Tritium (³H) analysis in groundwater was difficult because of its low activity. Therefore, the electrolytic enrichment method was used. To improve the detection limit and for performing simple analysis, a high-volume counting vial with the available liquid scintillation counter (LSC) was investigated. Further, it was compared with a conventional 20-mL counting vial. Materials and Methods: The LSC with the electrolytic enrichment method was used ³H analysis in groundwater. A high-volume 145-mL counting vial was compared with a conventional 20-mL counting vial to determine the counting characteristics of different LSCs. Results and Discussion: When a Quantulus LSC was used, the counting window between channels 35 and 250 was used. The background count was approximately 1.86 cpm, and the counting efficiency increased from 8% to 40% depending on the mixing ratio of the volume of sample and cocktail solution. For LSC-LB7, the optimum counting window was between 1 and 4.9 keV, which was selected by the factory (Hitachi Aloka Medical Ltd., Japan) by considering quenching using a standard external gamma source. The background count of LSC-LB7 was approximately 3.60 ± 0.29 cpm when the 145-mL vial was used and 2.22 ± 0.17 cpm when the 20-mL vial was used. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) of the 20-mL vial was greater for LSC-LB7 than for Quantulus. The MDA with the 145-mL vial was improved to 0.3 Bq/L when compared with the value of 1.6 Bq/L for the 20-mL vial. Conclusion: The counting efficiency when using the 145-mL vial was 27%, whereas it was 18% when using the 20-mL vial. This difference can be attributed to the vial volume. The figure of merit (FOM) of the 145-mL vial was four times greater than that of the 20-mL vial because the volume of the former vial is approximately seven times greater than that of the latter. Further, the MDA for ³H decreased from 1.6 to 0.3 Bq/L. The counting efficiency and FOM of LSC-LB7 was slightly less than those of Quantulus when the 20-mL vial was used. The background counting rate of the Quantulus was lower than that of the LSC-LB7.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.1210-1217
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• 2021

The analysis of ⁴¹Ca in concrete generated from the nuclear facilities decommissioning is critical for ensuring the safe management of radioactive waste. An analytical method for the determination of ⁴¹Ca in concrete is described. ⁴¹Ca is a neutron-activated long radionuclide, and hence, for accurate analysis, it is necessary to completely extract Ca from the concrete sample where it exists as the predominant element. The decomposition methods employed were the acid leaching, microwave digestion, and alkali fusion. A comparison of the results indicated that the alkali fusion is the most suitable way for the separation of Ca from the concrete sample. Several processes of hydroxide and carbonate precipitation were employed to separate ⁴¹Ca from interferences. The method relies on the differences in the solubility of the generated products. The behavior of Ca and the interfering elements such as Fe, Ni, Co, Eu, Ba, and Sr is examined at each separation step. The purified ⁴¹Ca was measured by a liquid scintillation counter, and the quench curve and counting efficiency were determined by using a certified reference material of known ⁴¹Ca activity. The recoveries in this study ranged from 56 to 68%, and the minimum detectable activity was 50 mBq g^-1 with 0.5 g of concrete sample.

• 대한화학회지
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.370-377
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• 1971

The Carbon-14 content in surface air at Seoul, Korea, was measured from February 1970 to August 1971 and a Larix Leptolepis, Gordon tree (Ip-Gal Namu) grown at Kwang-Nung, Kyunggi-Do, Korea, having 37 growth rings, was assayde for $^{14}C$. From the results of the surface air study, it was calculated that during the above period the inventory of excess $^{14}C$ in the atmosphere decreased with a half-time of 4.6 years. The overall yearly decrease was also checked. The tree-ring study showed that the tree's atmosphere was affected by $^{14}C$ from nuclear tests after 1956. In one study, atmospheric $CO^2$ samples were collected bi-monthly by the absorption of $CO^2$ in alkaline hydroxide solution. In the other, 5 year annual growth rings were assayed for radiocarbon. For the radioactivity measurement, carbon atoms in samples were converted to carbon atoms of benzene. The resulting benzene was taken as primary solvent for liquid scintillation counting.

• 한국염색가공학회지
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.31-41
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• 1996

This study was carried out to examine the effect of lipase on the removal of tripalmitin in the various conditions of washing. The soiled fabric was prepared by spotting of tripalmitin solution evenly on the polyster fabric and was baked in the oven and was aged for a week. The soiled fabric was washed by using Terg-O-Tometer at various conditions. The detergency was evaluated by analysing the tripalmitin tagged with $C^{14}$ on the fiber before and after washing by means of liquid scintillation counting.g.

• 보존과학연구
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• 통권27호
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• pp.181-201
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• 2006

In this study, radiocarbon dating by the benzene synthesis method and liquid scintillation counting method were performed for the age determination of coal sample at the Cheongok-dong archaeologicalsite, Ulsan. The results of radiocarbon age(BP year) are section Ga #1 $2920\pm50$ BP year, section Ga #5 $3100\pm55$BP year, section Ga #6 $2820\pm60$ BP year, section Na #5 $2650\pm50$ BP year. These ages were converted to calibrated age(AD/BC year) using high precision curve. The products on the excavation of Cheongok-dong archaeological site, Ulsan, section Ga #1 BC 1260-980 BC, section Ga #5 BC1460-1200 BC, section Ga #6 BC 1110~830 BC, section Na #5 BC 920-760 BC. Comparison of samples with radiocarbon and archaeological ages for revealed the approximation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.395-401
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• 2016

Background: Liquid scintillation counters (LSCs) are commonly used as an analytical method for detecting $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater because they involve a simple sample pretreatment and allow high throughout with an autosampler. The Quantulus 1220 is the best-selling LSC in Korea, but its production was stopped. Recently, a new type of LSC, the 300SL, was introduced. In this study, the 300SL was compared with the Quantulus 1220 in order to evaluate the ability of each apparatus to detect $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater. Materials and Methods: The Quantulus 1220 and 300SL were used to detect the presence of $^{222}Rn$. Radon gas was extracted from a groundwater sample using a water-immiscible cocktail in a LSC vial. The optimal analytical conditions for each LSC were determined using a $^{222}Rn$ calibration source prepared with a $^{226}Ra$ source. Results and Discussion: The optimal pulse shape analysis level for alpha and beta separation was 80 for the Quantulus 1220, and the corresponding pulse length index was 12 in the 300SL. The counting efficiency of the Quantulus 1220 for alpha emissions was similar to that of the 300SL, but the background count rate of the Quantulus 1220 was 10 times lower than that of the 300SL. The minimum detectable activity of the Quantulus 1220 was $0.08Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$, while that of the 300SL was $0.20Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$. The analytical results regarding $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater were less than 10% different between these LSCs. Conclusion: The 300SL is an LSC that is comparable to the Quantulus 1220 for detecting $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater. Both LSCs can be applied to determine the levels of $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater under the management of the Ministry of Environment.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.55-64
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• 2009

In a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR), radiation workers who have access to radiation controlled areas submit their urine samples to health physicists periodically; internal radiation exposure is evaluated by the monitoring of these urine samples. Internal radiation exposure at PHWRs accounts for approximately 20 $\sim$ 40% of total radiation exposure; most internal radiation exposure is attributed to tritium. Carbon-14 is not a dominant nuclide in the radiation exposure of workers, but it is one potential nuclide to be necessarily monitored. Carbon-14 is a low energy beta emitter and passes relatively easily into the body of workers by inhalation because its dominant chemical form is radioactive carbon dioxide ($^{14}CO_2$). Most inhaled carbon-14 is rapidly exhaled from the worker's body, but a small amount of carbon-14 remains inside the body and is excreted by urine. In this study, a method for dual analysis of tritium and carbon-14 in urine samples of workers at nuclear power plants is developed and a method for internal dose assessment using its excretion rate result is established. As a result of the developed dual analysis of tritium and carbon-14 in urine samples of radiation workers who entered the high radiation field area at a PHWR, it was found that internal exposure to carbon-14 is unlikely to occur. In addition, through the urine counting results of radiation workers who participated in the open process of steam generators, it was found that the likelihood of internal exposure to either tritium or carbon-14 is extremely low at pressurized water reactors (PWRs).

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.22-27
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• 2012

$^{226}Ra$ in groundwater could be analyzed by various methods. LSC (liquid scintillation counter) is used to measure its activity of Ba co-precipitates with Hisafe III scintillation cocktail solution. Counting efficiency was obtained using NIST $^{226}Ra$ standard solution in triplicate and calculated $^{226}Ra$ concentration using the efficiency values. $^{226}Ra$ values of 19 groundwaters having Gross-${\alpha}$ concentrations of more than 5 pCi/L ranged from ND (${\leq}$ 0.1 pCi/L) to 1.18 pCi/L. Geologic settings of the 19 areas are composed of granitic rocks of Pre-Cambrian and Jurassic and Cretaceous, gneiss (schist) of Pre-Cambrian, and volcanic rocks of Cretaceous. No relationship was shown among $^{226}Ra$ a concentrations and in-situ water quality data, and Gross-${\alpha}$, uranium, radon concentrations.

• 보존과학연구
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• 통권26호
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• pp.189-202
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• 2005

This study carried out to understand thermoluminescence dating of ancient tiles at Jinju Janghungri Kilin site. Also radiocarbon dating by the benzene synthesis method and Liquid scintillation counting method were performed for comparison for the agedetermination of charcoal sample at the obtained same site.1st and 2nd glow curve were obtained according to the typical method thermoluminescence. Plateau tests of revealed the proper temperature range to be $300~440^{\circ}C$ Palaeodose average values were formed to the 2.44Gy.Annual dose of ancient tiles was calculated from soil samples and ancient tiles it self by measuring alpha radiation dose, potassium concentrations and water contents respectively. Annual dose average values were calculated to be 7.012mGy/yr.The radiocarbon age(BP year) was converted to calibrated age(AD/BC year) using high precision curve. Radiocarbon ages were calculated to be AD 15~17 .Comparison of samples with their radiocarbon and thermoluminescence ages for revealed the in range the AD 15~17. This result means that the measured absolute ages are in good agreement with each other within the margin of error.

• 한국의류산업학회지
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• 제7권6호
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• pp.680-688
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate on the removal of oily and particulate soils from silk fabrics. Various kinds of solvents were used on the removal of two kinds of soils treated into the silk fabrics. The removal of oily soil was analyzed by liquid scintillation counting method, and the removal of oil and carbon particulate mixed soils was evaluated by measuring of reflectance on the surface of soiled fabrics with/without drysoap in solvent washing by Terg-o-tometer. The surfaces of fabrics were also observed by SEM before and after washing. The results obtained were as follows : oily soils were removed efficiently by various kinds of solvents regardless of kinds of silk fabrics in short washing time. The removal effect of solvents from the soiled silk fabrics were high in the order of isopropyl alcohol>trichloroethane>monochlorobenzene>ethylether>perchloroethylene. Oil and carbon particulate mixed soils could be efficiently removed by adding of drysoap in solvent washing. The removal of mixed soils were increased drastically with rinsing and increased drysoap. The removal of soils was more efficiently removed from degummed silk fabrics than from the raw silk fabrics.