• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.231-240
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• 2002

Microbial metal reduction influences the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and metals as well as plays an important role in the bioremediation of metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. The use of bacteria to facilitate the production of magnetite nanoparticles and the formation of carbonate minerals may provide new biotechnological processes for material synthesis and carbon sequestration. Metal-reducing bacteria were isolated from a variety of extreme environments, such as deep terrestrial subsurface, deep marine sediments, water near Hydrothemal vents, and alkaline ponds. Metal-reducing bacteria isolated from diverse extreme environments were able to reduce Fe(III), Mn(IV), Cr(VI), Co(III), and U(VI) using short chain fatty acids and/or hydrogen as the electron donors. These bacteria exhibited diverse mineral precipitation capabilities including the formation of magnetite ($Fe_3$$O_4$), siderite ($FeCO_3$), calcite ($CaCO_3$), rhodochrosite ($MnCO_3$), vivianite [$Fe_3$($PO_4$)$_2$ .$8H_2$O], and uraninite ($UO_2$). Geochemical and environmental factors such as atmospheres, chemical milieu, and species of bacteria affected the extent of Fe(III)-reduction as well as the mineralogy and morphology of the crystalline iron mineral phases. Thermophilic bacteria use amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide plus metals (Co, Cr, Ni) as an electron acceptor and organic carbon as an electron donor to synthesize metal-substituted magnetite. Metal reducing bacteria were capable of $CO_2$conversion Into sparingly soluble carbonate minerals, such as siderite and calcite using amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide or metal-rich fly ash. These results indicate that microbial Fe(III)-reduction may not only play important roles in iron and carbon biogeochemistry in natural environments, but also be potentially useful f3r the synthesis of submicron-sized ferromagnetic materials.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.347-356
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• 2010

Bauxite is a main raw material for the production of alumina and aluminum hydroxide in the processing plant of KC company. It is a NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials), and its waste, red mud, is a TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials). The purpose of the geochemical and mineralogical investigations of the bedrock and soils in and around the plant, a large NORM source, was to provide basic data for measuring the radiation dose and protecting from radioactive hazards. Soils were mixtures of minerals derived from the country rock (quartz, feldspar, mica, kaolin, gibbsite, and sepiolite) and bauxite (hematite, boehmite, and calcite) of open-air storage. Average U and Th contents of the soil samples were 4.7 ppm and 23 ppm, respectively, indicating somewhat Th anomaly. The average concentrations of radionuclides are $^{40}K$ 100~1,433 Bq/kg, $^{226}Ra$ anomaly in the red mud open-air storage. Soil external hazard indices range from 0.10 to 1.66 with an average of 0.63. Although most of the indices are below 1.0 that is a regulation value, those of 4 samples of total 41 soil samples exceed 1.0, requiring further detailed investigation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.176-188
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• 1995

A particle tracking scheme was developed in order to model radionuclide transport through a tortuous flow Held in a rock fracture. The particle tacking method may be used effectively in a heterogeneous flow field such as rock fracture. The parallel plate representation of the single fracture fails to recognize the spatial heterogeneity in the fracture aperture and thus seems inadequate in describing fluid movement through a real fracture. The heterogeneous flow field une modeled by a variable aperture channel model after characterizing aperture distribution by a hydraulic test. To support the validation of radionuclide transport models, a radionuclide migration experiment was performed in a natural fracture of granite. $^3$$H_2O$ and $^{131}$ I are used as tracers. Simulated results were in agreement with experimental result and therefore support the validity of the transport model. Residence time distributions display multipeak curves caused by the fast arrival of solutes traveling along preferential fracture channels and by the much slower arrival of solutes following tortous routes through the fracture. Results from the modelling of the transport of nonsorbing tracer through the fracture show that diffusion into the interconnected pore space in the rock mass has a significant effect on retardation.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.481-492
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• 2018

We conducted TL/OSL dating for the earthenware kilns in the Bongsan-ri archaeological site, Osong, which was occupied from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century. With the SAR-TL/OSL method, paleodose was determined from the equivalent dose during the burial period($ED_{burial}$), the background dose($ED_{BG}$), the fading correction factor(f), and the overestimation correction factor(C). The annual dose rates and their provenance were evaluated from the measurement of natural radionuclides $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$, and $^{40}K$. Because the comprehensive absolute age was provided by combining the resulting TL/OSL and radiocarbon data, we concluded that, for the absolute chronology of a modern archaeological site, TL/OSL dating and radiocarbon dating must be carried out together and summed. The construction and occupation of earthenware kilns in the Bongsan-ri site had changed from stage I (No.5, 6 kilns), to stage II (No.1, 2, 3 kilns), to stage III (No.4) in chronological order. When Bayesian statistics were applied, we found that the absolute ages of occupation for stages I, II, and III correspond to AD $1910{\pm}23$, AD $1970{\pm}10$, and AD $1987{\pm}4$. These results were in good agreement with the archaeological context or chronology.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.553-566
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• 2018

The occurrence of natural radionuclides like uranium and radon in groundwater was hydrochemically examined based on 40 well groundwaters in Mungyeong area. The range of electrical conductivity (EC) value in the study area was $68{\sim}574{\mu}S/cm$. In addition to the increase of EC value, the content of cations and anions also tends to increase. Uranium concentrations ranged from $0.03{\sim}169{\mu}g/L$ (median value, $0.82{\mu}g/L$) and radon concentrations ranged from 70~30,700 pCi/L (median value, 955 pCi/L). Only 1 out of 40 wells (2.5%) showed uranium concentration exceeding the maximum contaminant level (MCL; $30{\mu}g/L$) proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radon concentrations of eight wells (20%) exceeded AMCL(Alternative maximum contaminant level) of the US EPA (4,000 pCi/L). Four out of those eight wells even exceeded Finland's guideline level (8,100 pCi/L). When concentrations of uranium and radon were investigated in terms of geology, the highest values are generally associated with granite. The uranium and radon levels observed in this study are low in comparison to those of other countries with similar geological settings. It is likely that the measured value was lower than the actual content due to the inflow of shallow groundwater by the lack of casing and grouting.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.64-71
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• 2019

Background: It is very difficult to distinguish between a radioactive contamination source and background radiation from natural radionuclides in the marine environment by means of online monitoring system. The objective of this study was to investigate a statistical process for triggering abnormal level of count rate data measured from our on-line seawater radioactivity monitoring. Materials and Methods: Count rate data sets in time series were collected from 9 monitoring posts. All of the count rate data were measured every 15 minutes from the region of interest (ROI) for $^{137}Cs$ ($E_{\gamma}=661.6keV$) on the gamma-ray energy spectrum. The Shewhart ($3{\sigma}$), CUSUM, and Bayesian S-R control chart methods were evaluated and the comparative analysis of determination methods for count rate data was carried out in terms of the false positive incidence rate. All statistical algorithms were developed using R Programming by the authors. Results and Discussion: The $3{\sigma}$, CUSUM, and S-R analyses resulted in the average false positive incidence rate of $0.164{\pm}0.047%$, $0.064{\pm}0.0367%$, and $0.030{\pm}0.018%$, respectively. The S-R method has a lower value than that of the $3{\sigma}$ and CUSUM method, because the Bayesian S-R method use the information to evaluate a posterior distribution, even though the CUSUM control chart accumulate information from recent data points. As the result of comparison between net count rate and gross count rate measured in time series all the year at a monitoring post using the $3{\sigma}$ control charts, the two methods resulted in the false positive incidence rate of 0.142% and 0.219%, respectively. Conclusion: Bayesian S-R and CUSUM control charts are better suited for on-line seawater radioactivity monitoring with an count rate data in time series than $3{\sigma}$ control chart. However, it requires a continuous increasing trend to differentiate between a false positive and actual radioactive contamination. For the determination of count rate, the net count method is better than the gross count method because of relatively a small variation in the data points.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.29-36
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• 2019

High-level radioactive waste (HLW) such as spent fuel is inevitably produced when nuclear power plants are operated. A geological repository has been considered as one of the most adequate options for the disposal of HLW, and it will be constructed in host rock at a depth of 500~1,000 meters below ground level with the concept of an engineered barrier system (EBS) and a natural barrier system. The compacted bentonite buffer is one of the most important components of the EBS. As the compacted bentonite buffer is located between disposal canisters with spent fuel and the host rock, it can restrain the release of radionuclides and protect canisters from the inflow of groundwater. Because of inflow of groundwater into the compacted bentonite buffer, it is essential to investigate soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) of the compacted bentonite buffer in order to evaluate the entire safety performance of the EBS. Therefore, this paper conducted laboratory experiments to analyze the SWCC for a Korean Ca-type compacted bentonite buffer considering dry density, confined or unconfined condition, and drying or wetting path. There was no significant difference of SWCC considering dry density under unconfined condition. Furthermore, it was found that there was higher water suction in unconfined condition that in confined condition, and higher water suction during drying path than during wetting path.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• 제49권5호
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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.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.262-269
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• 2017

The concentration of natural radioactivity in the sediment of the Geum River was investigated. The river and lake sediment samples were collected at 23 points during September to November, 2015 and March to April, 2015, respectively. The gamma-rays emitted from the $^{226}Ra$ and $^{232}Th$ decay series and $^{40}K$ were measured with a high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma detector. The average radioactivity concentrations of the $^{226}Ra$, $^{232}Th$ decay series and $^{40}K$ for the river sediment was found to be $15.6{\pm}0.6$, $33.8{\pm}1.2$, $789.8{\pm}26.0Bq/kg$, respectively, while for the lake sediment, the concentrations were $17.1{\pm}0.5$, $37.8{\pm}1.1$, $269.4{\pm}9.6Bq/kg$, respectively. Spearman's correlation was conducted to compare the radioactivity concentration and properties of the sediment. The radioactivity concentration of the $^{232}Th$ decay series showed a negative correlation with the particle size of the sediment, and was measured to be higher than the $^{226}Ra$ decay series according to mobility of the radionuclides. The radioactivity concentration of $^{40}K$ showed a negative correlation with organic matter content. The concentration of $^{40}K$ in the lake sediment was lower than that in the river sediment.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.149-160
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• 2018

A large number of functional living products are being produced for eco-friendly or health-promoting purposes. In the manufacturing process, such products could be adulterated with raw materials with high radioactivity, such as monazite and tourmaline. Thus, it is essential to manage raw materials and products closely related to the public living. For proper management, an accurate radioactivity data of the processed products are needed. Therefore, it is essential to develop a rapid and validated analytical method. In this study, the concentration of the radioactive $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ in building materials (e.g., tile, cement, paint, wall paper, and gypsum board) and living products (e.g., health products, textiles, and minerals) were determined and compared by ED-XRF and ICP-MS. By comparing the results of both methods, we confirmed the applicability of the rapid screening and precise analysis of ED-XRF and ICP-MS. In addition, $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ levels were relatively lower in building materials than in living products. Particularly, $^{232}Th$ content in 6 of 47 living products exceeded (maximum $8.2Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$) the standard limit of $^{232}Th$ content in raw material ($1.0Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$).