• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.433-438
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• 2022

Targeted radionuclides treatment (TRT) requires the establishment of treatment plans that consider various factors, such as the type of radionuclides, target organs, and administration methods. For this reason, in this study, the absorption dose of a single cell was analyzed according to the type of radioisotope used to treat target radionuclides. In this study, a simulation was performed on beta rays used in the treatment of target radionuclides at the cell level using MCNPX (ver. 2.5.0). First, according to the calculation formula, the beam path according to the type of radioisotope for treatment was calculated. Second, the amount of self-radiation by beta rays emitted from cell diameters of 5 ㎛ and 10 ㎛ cell nuclei was evaluated. As a result, it showed a high range proportional to the maximum energy of the beta-ray, and the highest self-dose distribution from 177 Lu radiation sources among therapeutic radioisotopes. This was analyzed as a result that is inversely proportional to the maximum energy of the beta-ray, and it suggests that the selection of a nuclide considering the range of the beta-ray is necessary in the treatment of target radionuclides in the future.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.451-463
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• 2023

With South Korea increasingly focusing on nuclear energy, the management of spent nuclear fuel has attracted considerable attention in South Korea. This study established a novel procedure for selecting safety-relevant radionuclides for long-term safety assessments of a deep geological repository in South Korea. Statistical evaluations were performed to identify the design basis reference spent nuclear fuels and evaluate the source term for up to one million years. Safety-relevant radionuclides were determined based on the half-life criteria, the projected activities for the design basis reference spent nuclear fuel, and the annual limit of ingestion set by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Notification No. 2019-10 without considering their chemical and hydrogeological properties. The proposed process was used to select 56 radionuclides, comprising 27 fission and activation products and 29 actinide nuclides. This study explains first the determination of the design basis reference spent nuclear fuels, followed by a comprehensive discussion on the selection criteria and methodology for safety-relevant radionuclides.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 1998

Beta-particle energy distributions of the radionuclides in medicine are calculated for the medical physics applications. The radial component solutions of Dirac wave equations are evaluated for a point-nucleus un screened Coulomb potential. The WKB method is employed to correct the screening due to the orbital-electron cloud. Fierz interference terms are ignored. The radionuclides considered are $\^$32/P, $\^$90/Y, $\^$131/I, $\^$166/Ho, $\^$192/Ir, $\^$198/Au, $\^$153/Sm, $\^$169/Er and $\^$188/Re. A total of 9 beta-spectra for the radionuclides, currently in domestic use or potential use in the near future, are calculated with enough accuracy and presented in graphs and tables.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.231-240
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• 2001

When it is assumed that PWR, CANDU and DUPIC spent fuels are disposed of in deep geological repository, consequent annual individual doses are calculated, and it is shown that doses meet the regulatory limit. From these results, the hazardous radionuclides applicable to partitioning and transmutation are selected. These selected radionuclides such as Tc-99, Ⅰ-129, Cs-135 and Np-237 are then reviewed in terms of partitioning and transmutation. Separation of I-129, Np-237 and Tc-99 from spent fuels is considered desirable, and transmutation of these radionuclides results in remarkable hazard reduction. However, it is concluded that separation and transmutation of Cs-135 may be ineffective although it is classified into a hazardous radionuclide.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.321-338
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• 2022

The transport of radionuclides at oceanic scales can be assessed using a Lagrangian model. In this review an application of such a model to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans is described. The transport model, which is fed with water currents provided by global ocean circulation models, includes advection by three-dimensional currents, turbulent mixing, radioactive decay and adsorption/release of radionuclides between water and bed sediments. Adsorption/release processes are described by means of a dynamic model based upon kinetic transfer coefficients. A stochastic method is used to solve turbulent mixing, decay and water/sediment interactions. The main results of these oceanic radionuclide transport studies are summarized in this paper. Particularly, the potential leakage of ¹³⁷Cs from dumped nuclear wastes in the north Atlantic region was studied. Furthermore, hypothetical accidents, similar in magnitude to the Fukushima accident, were simulated for nuclear power plants located around the Indian Ocean coastlines. Finally, the transport of radionuclides resulting from the release of stored water, which was used to cool reactors after the Fukushima accident, was analyzed in the Pacific Ocean.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.49-67
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• 2006

The radionuclides in drinking water have been regulated in many countries. In USA, the regulation has been revised for over 30 years since radionuclides have been regulated under Safe Drinking Water Act(SDWA) from 1974. Today, USEPA is finalizing maximum contaminant level goal(MCLG) of zero for radionuclides, maximum contaminant level(MCL) and alternative maximum contaminant level(AMCL) of 300pCi/L and 4,000pCi/L for radon respectively, MCLs of $30{\mu}g/L$ for uranium, and MCLs of 5pCi/L for combined radium 226 and 228. In Canada, Maximum Acceptable Concentration(MAC) value for uranium is $20{\mu}g/L$. WHO revised the guideline value of uranium and radon to $15{\mu}g/L$ and 100Bq/L in september 2004, respectively. On this survey, it has been found that international regulations for radionuclides in drinking water have been established and improved steadily on the knowledge basis from the past decades' studies.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.118-126
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• 2019

Background: Government conducts environmental radioactivity surveillance for verification purpose around nuclear facilities based on the Nuclear Safety Law and issues a surveillance report every year. This study aims to evaluate the short and the long-term fluctuation of radionuclides detected above MDC and their origins using concentration ratios between these radionuclides. Materials and Methods: Sample media for verification surveillance are air, rainwater, groundwater, soil, and milk for terrestrial samples, and seawater, marine sediment, fish, and seaweed for marine samples. Gamma-emitting radionuclides including $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, $^3H$, and $^{14}C$ are evaluated in these samples. Results and Discussion: According to the result of the environmental radioactivity verification surveillance in the vicinity of nuclear power facilities in 2017, the anthropogenic radionuclides were not detected in most of the environmental samples except for the detection of a trace level of $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, and $^{131}I$ in some samples. Radioactivity concentration ratios between the anthropogenic radionuclides ($^{137}Cs/^{90}Sr$, $^{137}Cs/^{239+240}Pu$, $^{90}Sr/^{239+240}Pu$) were similar to those reported in the environmental samples, which were affected by the global fallout of the past nuclear weapon test, and Pu atomic ratios ($^{240}Pu/^{239}Pu$) in the terrestrial sample and marine sample showed significant differences due to the different input pathway and the Pu source. Radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) was detected at the range of < $5.6-190mBq{\cdot}kg-fresh^{-1}$ in the gulfweed and sea trumpet collected from the area of Kori and Wolsong intake and discharge. A high level of $^3H$ was observed in the air (Sangbong: $0.688{\pm}0.841Bq{\cdot}m^{-3}$) and the precipitation (Meteorology Post: $199{\pm}126Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$) samples of the Wolsong nuclear power plant (NPP). $^3H$ concentration in the precipitation and pine needle samples showed typical variation pattern with the distance and the wind direction from the stack due to the gaseous release of $^3H$ in Wolsong NPP. Conclusion: Except for the detection of a trace level of $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, and $^{131}I$ in some samples, anthropogenic radionuclides were below MDC in most of the environmental samples. Overall, no unusual radionuclides and abnormal concentration were detected in the 2017's surveillance result for verification. This research will be available in the assessment of environment around nuclear facilities in the event of radioactive material release.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.83-84
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• 2005

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2012

This study was designed to detect and measure the concentration of radioactivity of natural radionuclides ($^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$, $^{40}K$) and artificial radionuclides ($^{137}Cs$, $^{60}Co$) present in the drinking water of the city of Busan and surrounding areas in South Korea, and also to measure the absorbed dose of radiation caused by these elements in the residents so as to help better manage the risk that these radionuclides pose in the future. For the purposes of the study, a total of 42 samples of water were collected from three key water sources (19 samples of groundwater, 4 samples of tap water, and 19 samples of surface water) and their contents were analyzed for radioactivity concentration. The results revealed that two natural radionuclides, $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$, exist in the groundwater with an average concentration of radioactivity of 3.34 Bq/L and $8.28{\times}10^{-5}Bq/L$ respectively, while the surface water was found to contain the same two radionuclides with mean concentrations of 0.849 Bq/L and $1.103{\times}10^{-4}Bq/L$ respectively. In addition, of the 19 samples of the groundwater, $^{137}Cs$ was found in eight of them and $^{60}Co$ was detected in ten. Of the four samples of the tap water, $^{137}Cs$ was detected in all samples and $^{60}Co$ was detected in three. Both $^{137}Cs$ and $^{60}Co$ were detected in all 12 samples of surface water. As far as $^{40}K$ is concerned, this element was detected in three of the 19 groundwater samples, but was not detected in any surface or tap water sample. In addition, the absorbed dose of $^{238}U$ from the groundwater was $7.94{\times}10^{-8}Sv/y$, while the absorbed dose of $^{232}Th$ from the surface water was $9.33{\times}10^{-13}Sv/y$. The absorbed dose of $^{137}Cs$ from the tap water was $7.33{\times}10^{-5}Sv/y$, while the absorbed dose of $^{60}Co$ from the surface water was the highest at $4.23{\times}10^{-6}Sv/y$.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.281-291
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• 2013

A hypothetical repository was assumed to be located at the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) site, and the travel times of radionuclides released from three source positions were calculated. The groundwater flow around the KURT site was simulated and the groundwater pathways from the hypothetical source positions to the shallow groundwater were identified. Of the pathways, three pathways were selected because they had highly water-conductive features. The transport travel times of the radionuclides were calculated by a TDRW (Time-Domain Random Walk) method. Diffusion and sorption mechanisms in a host rock matrix as well as advection-dispersion mechanisms under the KURT field condition were considered. To reflect the radioactive decay, four decay chains with the radionuclides included in the high-level radioactive wastes were selected. From the simulation results, the half-life and distribution coefficient in the rock matrix, as well as multiple pathways, had an influence on the mass flux of the radionuclides. For enhancing the reliability of safety assessment, this reveals that identifying the history of the radionuclides contained in the high-level wastes and investigating the sorption processes between the radionuclides and the rock matrix in the field condition are preferentially necessary.