• Title/Summary/Keyword: surface radioactivity

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Evaluation of radiological safety according to accident scenarios for commercialization of spent resin mixture treatment device

  • Choi, Woo Nyun;Byun, Jaehoon;Kim, Hee Reyoung
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.54 no.7
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    • pp.2606-2613
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    • 2022
  • Spent resin often exceeds radiation limits for safe disposal, creating a need for commercial-scale treatment techniques to reduce resin radioactivity. In this study, the radiological safety of a commercialized spent resin treatment device with a treatment capacity of 1 ton/day was evaluated. The results confirm that the device is radiologically safe in the event of an accident. This device desorbs 14C from the spent resin, allowing disposal as low-level waste instead of intermediate-level waste. The device also reduces overall waste by recycling the extracted 14C. Potential accident scenarios were explored to enable dose assessments for both internal and external exposure while preventing further spillage of the device and processing the spilled resin. The scenarios involved the development of a surface fracture on the resin mixture separator and microwave systems, which were operated under pressure and temperature of 0-6 bar and 0-150 ℃, respectively. In the case of accidents with separator and microwave device, the maximum allowable working time of worker were derived, respectively, considering external and internal exposures. When wearing the respirator corresponding to APF 50, in the case of the microwave device accident scenario, the radiological safety was confirmed when the maximum worker worked within 132.1 h.

Preparation of Styrene-Ethyl acylate Core-shell Structured Detection Materials for aMeasurement of the Wall Contamination by Emulsion Polymerization

  • Hwang, Ho-Sang;Seo, Bum-Kyoung;Lee, Dong-Gyu;Lee, Kune-Woo
    • Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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    • 2009.06a
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    • pp.84-85
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    • 2009
  • New approaches for detecting, preventing and remedying environmental damage are important for protection of the environment. Procedures must be developed and implemented to reduce the amount of waste produced in chemical processes, to detect the presence and/or concentration of contaminants and decontaminate fouled environments. Contamination can be classified into three general types: airborne, surface and structural. The most dangerous type is airborne contamination, because of the opportunity for inhalation and ingestion. The second most dangerous type is surface contamination. Surface contamination can be transferred to workers by casual contact and if disturbed can easily be made airborne. The decontamination of the surface in the nuclear facilities has been widely studied with particular emphasis on small and large surfaces. The amount of wastes being produced during decommissioning of nuclear facilities is much higher than the total wastes cumulated during operation. And, the process of decommissioning has a strong possibility of personal's exposure and emission to environment of the radioactive contaminants, requiring through monitoring and estimation of radiation and radioactivity. So, it is important to monitor the radioactive contamination level of the nuclear facilities for the determination of the decontamination method, the establishment of the decommissioning planning, and the worker's safety. But it is very difficult to measure the surface contamination of the floor and wall in the highly contaminated facilities. In this study, the poly(styrene-ethyl acrylate) [poly(St-EA)] core-shell composite polymer for measurement of the radioactive contamination was synthesized by the method of emulsion polymerization. The morphology of the poly(St-EA) composite emulsion particle was core-shell structure, with polystyrene (PS)as the core and poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) as the shell. Core-shell polymers of styrene (St)/ethyl acrylate (EA) pair were prepared by sequential emulsion polymerization in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SOS) as an emulsifier using ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. The polymer was made by impregnating organic scintillators, 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and 1,4-bis[5-phenyl-2-oxazol]benzene (POPOP). Related tests and analysis confirmed the success in synthesis of composite polymer. The products are characterized by IT-IR spectroscopy, TGA that were used, respectively, to show the structure, the thermal stability of the prepared polymer. Two-phase particles with a core-shell structure were obtained in experiments where the estimated glass transition temperature and the morphologies of emulsion particles. Radiation pollution level the detection about under using examined the beta rays. The morphology of the poly(St-EA) composite polymer synthesized by the method of emulsion polymerization was a core-shell structure, as shown in Fig. 1. Core-shell materials consist of a core structural domain covered by a shell domain. Clearly, the entire surface of PS core was covered by PEA. The inner region was a PS core and the outer region was a PEA shell. The particle size distribution showed similar in the range 350-360 nm.

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Activity Concentrations of 137Cs and 90Sr in Seawaters of East Sea, Korea

  • Lee, Hae Young;Kim, Wan;Kim, Yong-Hwan;Maeng, Seongjin;Lee, Sang Hoon
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.41 no.3
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    • pp.268-273
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    • 2016
  • Background: This study was a long-term evaluation of $^{137}Cs$ and $^{90}Sr$ activity concentrations in seawater samples from the East Sea, Korea, in order to establish current activity levels. Results and long-term monitoring trends will be useful in the future monitoring of environmental radioactivity. Materials and Methods: Surface seawater samples were collected quarterly from Guryongpo and Jangho in the East Coast between 1998 and 2010 and the quarterly deep seawater samples were collected from three sites in the sea adjacent to Ulleung-do between 2012 and 2015. The activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ were measured using a gamma-spectrometer. The activity concentrations of $^{90}Sr$ and $^{90}Y$ in a radioactive equilibrium state were measured using a gas flow proportional counter. Results and Discussion: We found the annual average activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ in the surface seawater was $1.66-2.89mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Guryongpo and $1.68-2.43mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Jangho. The annual average activity concentrations of $^{90}Sr$ in the surface seawater was $0.83-1.98mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Guryongpo and $0.82-1.57mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in Jangho. The annual average activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ in the deep seawater sites were $1.51-1.73mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, $1.19-1.60mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ and $0.87-1.15mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in TH, JD, and HP. The annual average activity concentrations of $^{90}Sr$ in the same deep seawater sites were $1.00-1.94mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, $0.82-1.26mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, and $0.79-1.32mBq{\cdot}kg^{-1}$. The effective half-life was calculated by analyzing change over time in the activity concentration in the surface seawater. The effective half-life of $^{137}Cs$ was $15.3{\pm}0.1years$ in Guryongpo and $102{\pm}3years$ in Jangho. The effective half-life of $^{90}Sr$ was $28.3{\pm}4.3years$ in Guryongpo and $16.6{\pm}0.1years$ in Jangho. The ratio of the average activity concentration ($^{137}Cs/^{90}Sr$) was 1.72 in the surface seawater, which is similar to the reported ratio of the global radioactive fallout. The ratio in the deep seawater was 1.24, which is somewhat low compared to the global ratio (1.6, 1.8). Conclusion: Activity concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ and $^{90}Sr$ in the seawaters of the East Sea were similar to the previously reported activity levels in the East Sea and northwestern Pacific as a result of global radioactive fallout following atmospheric nuclear weapon tests.

Ultrahigh Vacuum Technologies Developed for a Large Aluminum Accelerator Vacuum System

  • Hsiung, G.Y.;Chang, C.C.;Yang, Y.C.;Chang, C.H.;Hsueh, H.P.;Hsu, S.N.;Chen, J.R.
    • Applied Science and Convergence Technology
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    • v.23 no.6
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    • pp.309-316
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    • 2014
  • A large particle accelerator requires an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system of average pressure under $1{\times}10^{-7}$ Pa for mitigating the impact of beam scattering from the residual gas molecules. The surface inside the beam ducts should be controlled with an extremely low thermal outgassing rate under $1{\times}10^{-9}Pa{\cdot}m^3/(s{\cdot}m^2)$ for the sake of the insufficient pumping speed. To fulfil the requirements, the aluminum alloys were adopted as the materials of the beam ducts for large accelerator that thanks to the good features of higher thermal conductivity, non-radioactivity, non-magnetism, precise machining capability, et al. To put the aluminum into the large accelerator vacuum systems, several key technologies have been developed will be introduced. The concepts contain the precise computer numerical control (CNC) machining process for the large aluminum ducts and parts in pure alcohol and in an oil-free environment, surface cleaning with ozonized water, stringent welding process control manually or automatically to form a large sector of aluminum ducts, ex-situ baking process to reach UHV and sealed for transportation and installation, UHV pumping with the sputtering ion pumps and the non-evaporable getters (NEG), et al. The developed UHV technologies have been applied to the 3 GeV Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) and revealed good results as the expectation. The problems of leakage encountered during the assembling were most associated with the vacuum baking which result in the consequent trouble shootings and more times of baking. Then the installation of the well-sealed UHV systems is recommended.

A Study on Minimum Detection Limit of Environmental Radioactivity in HPGe Detector (HPGe 검출기에서 환경방사능측정의 검출하한치에 관한 연구)

  • Jang, Eun-Sung
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.5-10
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    • 2011
  • Based on basic concept of detection limit, sample measurement time & background measurement time was considered, and MDA values according to background measurement time and sample measurement time in land samples(river soil, surface soil, drinking water, underground water, surface water, pine leaf, mugwort) analysis among environmental samples were compared. Seeing the water sample analysis result, it was shown that most of the samples were not detected, and most of the samples in land specimen analysis showed to be below the detection limit of "Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Announcement Je-2008-28-ho", but $^{137}Cs$ which is one of artificial radioactive nuclide was detected in some samples. It can be traced back to 1950s and 1960s when nuclear tests were carried out in atmosphere and catastrophic Chernobyl atomic power station accident that caused fallouts in the sky, and this is common level of detection that can be observed worldwide. Seeing the result that the $^{134}Cs$(which is a isotope of $^{137}Cs$, and it has relatively short half life) was not detected in all samples, it can be considered it doesn't affect to the operation of atomic power station.

A Summary of Radiation Accidents in Atomic Energy Activities of Korea (우리나라의 원자력 연구 개발에 수반된 방사선 사고)

  • 이현덕;하정우
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.2 no.2
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    • pp.97-106
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    • 1970
  • Radiation accidents which occured in the A.E.R.I. during last ten years are described (table 1). It seemed to the authors that some of these accidents were considered to be hazardous to man body and associated installations. This report deals with the following four major accidents involving body contamination incidents that our health physicists have been experienced. 1. Over-exposures (up to 130 rem) to the total body due to the mismanipulation in the Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation facility. 2. Floor surface contamination (up to 13 mrad/hr) and its spread out due to the mishandling of radioiodine contained in the bottle. 3. Body surface contamination and 0.36 uCi radioactivity accumulated in the thyroid gland of a worker due to the inhalation of gaseous iodine-131. 4. A void capsule due to the leakage out of the radium therapeutic source (3mg\ulcorner) These accidents were treated by definitely prompt action to protect the workers and associated installations from any radiation hazards and every possible efforts were made to confine the spread of radioactive contamination as small area as possible by means of elaborate decontamination work and monitoring.

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Effect of X-irradiation on Citrus Canker Pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri of Satsuma Mandarin Fruits

  • Song, Min-A;Park, Jae Sin;Kim, Ki Deok;Jeun, Yong Chull
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.343-349
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    • 2015
  • Citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) is one of the most important bacterial diseases of citrus. Because citrus canker is not found in many countries including European Union and Australia, Xcc is strictly regulated in order to prevent its spread. In this study, the effects of X-irradiation on Xcc growth either in the suspension or on the surface of citrus fruits were investigated. The suspension containing $1{\times}10^7cfu/ml$ of Xcc was irradiated with different absorbed doses of X-irradiation ranging from 50 to 400 Gy. The results showed that Xcc was fully dead at 400 Gy of X-irradiation. To determine the effect of X-irradiation on quarantine, the Xcc-inoculated citrus fruits were irradiated with different X-ray doses at which Xcc was completely inhibited by an irradiation dose of 250 Gy. The $D_{10}$ value for Xcc on citrus fruits was found to be 97 Gy, indicating the possibility of direct application on citrus quarantine without any side sterilizer. Beside, presence of Xcc on the surface of asymptomatic citrus fruits obtained from citrus canker-infected orchards was noted. It indicated that the exporting citrus fruits need any treatment so that Xcc on the citrus fruits should be completely eliminated. Based on these results, ionizing radiation can be considered as an alternative method of eradicating Xcc for export of citrus fruits.

Prediction of radioactivity releases for a Long-Term Station Blackout event in the VVER-1200 nuclear reactor of Bangladesh

  • Shafiqul Islam Faisal ;Md Shafiqul Islam;Md Abdul Malek Soner
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.55 no.2
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    • pp.696-706
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    • 2023
  • Consequences of an anticipated Beyond Design Basis Accident (BDBA) Long-Term Station Blackout (LTSBO) event with complete loss of grid power in the VVER-1200 reactor of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) of Unit-1 are assessed using the RASCAL 4.3 code. This study estimated the released radionuclides, received public radiological dose, and ground surface concentration considering 3 accident scenarios of International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) level 7 and two meteorological conditions. Atmospheric transport, dispersion, and deposition processes of released radionuclides are simulated using a straight-line trajectory Gaussian plume model for short distances and a Gaussian puff model for long distances. Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE) to the public within 40 km and radionuclides contribution for three-dose pathways of inhalation, cloudshine, and groundshine owing to airborne releases are evaluated considering with and without passive safety Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) in dry (winter) and wet (monsoon) seasons. Source term and their release rates are varied with the functional duration of passive safety ECCS. In three accident scenarios, the TEDE of 10 mSv and above are confined to 8 km and 2 km for the wet and dry seasons, respectively in the downwind direction. The groundshine dose is the most dominating in the wet season while the inhalation dose is in the dry season. Total received doses and surface concentration in the wet season near the plant are higher than those in the dry season due to the deposition effect of rain on the radioactive substances.

A Study of Measuring the Surface Contamination for Patient's Clothes and Bedclothes after Ablation Therapy (방사성옥소 치료환자의 환의 및 침구류에 대한 표면오염 측정에 관한 고찰)

  • Moon, Jae-Seung;Park, Dae-Seong;Kim, Su-Keun;Jeong, Hee-Il
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.3-12
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    • 2008
  • Purpose: Contaminated clothes and bedclothes of patients by mouth or with excrement are produced after Radioisotope $^{131}I$ treatment. In this paper, patient's clothes and bedclothes contaminated by radioactivity measured and radioactive waste wish to calculate optimum storage period. Material and Methods: The whole area of patients' clothes and bedclothes measured 70 patients, 12 males and 58 females, who had radioisotope $^{131}I$ therapy between August 2005 and February 2006. Assuming contamination is evenly distributed, the radioscope used to measure up to social toleration level at 7 day intervals. Results: Each optimum storage period of control group of 60 case and non control group of 10 case were average $44{\pm}16$ days and $32{\pm}13$ days. Decontamination effect of surface contamination for radioactive waste was average $83.66{\pm}15.15%$. Conclusion: It is important that classify radioactive waste according to difference of surface contamination. Result of this research, handling radioactive waste in optimum storage period may be useful.

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Multivariate statistical study on naturally occurring radioactive materials and radiation hazards in lakes around a Chinese petroleum industrial area

  • Yan Shi;Junfeng Zhao;Baiyao Ding;Yue Zhang;Zhigang Li;Mohsen M.M.Ali;Tuya Siqin;Hongtao Zhao;Yongjun Liu;Weiguo Jiang;Peng Wu
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.56 no.6
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    • pp.2182-2189
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    • 2024
  • The high-purity germanium gamma-ray spectrometer was used to measure the radioisotope in surface water of lakes in a Chinee petroleum industrial area. 92 samples were collected from surface water of three lakes. Activity concentrations of 232Th, 226Ra and 40K in three lakes were measured, distributed in the range of 101.8-209.4, 192.1-224.9 and 335.0-548.9 mBq/L, respectively. Results were all within the limits of WHO and China. Potential environmental and health risks were assessed by calculating some radiation hazard indicators, radium equivalent index, annual effective dose, excess lifetime cancer risk, absorbed dose rate, external hazard index, internal hazard index, annual gonadal dose equivalent, activity utilization index and representative gamma index, which ranged 0.38-0.54 Bq/L, 0.06-0.08 mSv/y, 0.23 × 10-3-0.31 × 10-3, 0.17-0.24 nGy/h, 1.01 × 10-3-1.46 × 10-3, 1.55 × 10-3-2.02 × 10-3, 1.16-1.66 μSv/y, 3.13 × 10-3-4.45 × 10-3 and 2.60 × 10-3-3.77 × 10-3. The results were all at acceptable levels, meaning no impact on human health. The relationship between the electrical conductivity of surface water and the activity concentration of 232Th, 226Ra and 40K was evaluated. The electrical conductivity value was 0.241-0.369 mS/cm, showing a significant correlation coefficient between 226Ra and 40K and electrical conductivity. Multivariate statistical methods were used to determine the relationship between the activity concentrations of 232Th, 226Ra, and 40K, radiation hazard indicators and electrical conductivity.