• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.95-111
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• 2012

This study investigated the relationship between the geochemical environment and the occurrence of natural radioactive materials (uranium and Rn-222) in borehole groundwater at an Icheon site. The drill core recovered from the study site consists mainly of biotite granite with basic dykes. The groundwater samples were collected at four different depths in the borehole using the double-packed system. The pH range of the groundwater was 6.5~8.6, and the chemical type was Ca-$HCO_3$. The ranges of uranium and Rn-222 concentrations in the groundwater were 8.81~1,101 ppb and 5,990~11,970 pCi/L, respectively, and concentrations varied greatly with depth and collection time. The ranges of uranium and thorium contents in drill core were 0.53~18.3 ppm and 6.66~17.5 ppm, respectively. Microscope observations and electron microprobe analyses revealed the presence of U and Th as substituted elements for major composition of monazite, ilmenite, and apatite within K-feldspar and biotite. Although the concentration of uranium and thorium in the drill core was not high, the groundwater contained a high level of natural radioactive materials. This finding indicates that physical factors, such as the degree of fracturing of an aquifer and the groundwater flow rate, have a greater influence on the dissolution of radioactive materials than does the geochemical condition of the groundwater and rock. The origin of Rn-222 can be determined indirectly, using an interrelationship diagram of noble gas isotopes ($^3He/^4He$ and $^4He/^{20}Ne$).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.373-386
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• 2011

Geochemical study was performed on black slates and interbedded U-bearing coaly slates in Deokpyeongri area, the representative uranium mineralized district of the Ogcheon Metamorphic Belt, to discuss the genetic environments of the uranium deposit. REE concentration (254 ppm) of the black slates is higher than that (169 ppm) of the coaly slates and NASC-normalized REE patterns of the coaly slates show remarkable positive Eu anomaly. l11e redox-sensitive trace elements such as V, Cr, Co, Ni, Mo and U in the coaly slates are highly enriched compared to the black slates, especially for V of 24 times, Mo of 62 times, and U of 60 times. In additions, Pd and Pt are also enriched in the coaly slates. Positive Eu anomaly and the noticeable enrichment of the elements listed above compared to those of NASC indicate that those elements were not derived from common seawater but deposited under high temperature and reducing environment of submarine hydrothermal activities. Wide compositional ranges of major elements ($SiO_2/Al_2O_3$: 3.98~11.88, $Al_2O_3/Na_2O$: 25.6~139.06, $K_2O/Na_2O$: 6.80~46.85) also suggest that the source rocks of the sediments are mixtures of sedimentary rocks and igneous rocks. Higher sulfur contents in the coaly slates, 2.6 wt.%, than those in the black slates, 0.6 wt.% also indicates that the former was influenced by hydrothermal activities containing much sulfur. These geochemical characteristics are similar to the genetic environments of South China type PGE deposits (Mo-Ni-Zn-PGE) which is geotectonically correlated with the Ogcheon Metamorphic Belt and is known as sedimentary-exhalative deposits. In conclusions, the uranium and other metallic elements mineralization seems to have occurred in the sedimentary basin that was affected by submarine hydrothermal activities and rich in organic materials under oxygen-poor environments as well.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2020

The Graphite Isotope Ratio Method (GIRM) can verify non-proliferation of nuclear weapon by estimating the total plutonium production in a graphite-moderated reactor. Using the reactor, plutonium is generated and accumulated through the ²³⁸U neutron capture reaction, and impurities in the graphite are converted to nuclides due to the nuclear reaction. Therefore, the amount of plutonium production and concentration of the impurities are correlated. However, the plutonium production cannot be predicted using only the absolute concentration of the impurities. It can only be predicted when the initial concentration of the impurities is obtained because the concentration, at a certain time, depends on it. Nevertheless, the ratios of the isotopes in an element are known regardless of the impurity of an element in the graphite moderator. Thus, the correlation between the isotope ratio and amount of plutonium produced helps predict plutonium production in a graphite-moderated reactor. Boron, Lithium, Chlorine, Titanium, and Uranium are known as indicator elements in the GIRM. To assess whether the correlation between the indicator isotope and amount of plutonium produced is independent of the initial concentration of the impurities, four different impurity compositions of graphite were used. ¹⁰B/¹¹B, ³⁶Cl/³⁵Cl, ⁴⁸Ti/⁴⁹Ti, and ²³⁵U/²³⁸U had a consistent correlation with the cumulative plutonium production, regardless of the initial impurity concentration of the graphite, because these isotopes were not generated through the nuclear reaction of other elements. On the other hand, the correlation between ⁶Li/⁷Li and plutonium production depended on the initial concentration of the impurities in graphite. Although ⁷Li can be produced through the neutron capture reaction of ⁶Li, the (n, α) reaction of ¹⁰B was the major source of ⁷Li. Therefore, the initial concentration of ¹⁰B affected the production of ⁷Li, making Li unsuitable as an indicator element for the GIRM.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2016

This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of natural radionuclides in Korean groundwater. Groundwater radionuclide data for the period 2000-2011 were obtained from the National Institute of Environmental Research and published literature, classified into five groups according to host rock type, and used to construct detailed concentration maps. Radon, uranium, gross-α, and radium concentrations ranged from 0.4 to 64,688.0 pCi/L (mean: 4,907 pCi/L), 0 to 2,297 μg/L (mean: 27.5 μg/L), 0 to 312 pCi/L (mean: 3.9 pCi/L), and 0 to 17.4 pCi/L (mean: 0.2 pCi/L), respectively. Radon concentrations in 562 of a total 1,501 wells (i.e., 53.5%) exceeded 4,000 pCi/L, which is the acceptable contamination threshold established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Uranium, gross-α, and radium concentrations exceeded the respective thresholds of 30 μg/L, 15 pCi/L, and 5 pCi/L in 121 of 1,031 wells (11.9%), 34 of 978 wells (3.5%), and 4 of 89 wells (4.5%), respectively. The mean radionuclide concentration in groundwaters hosted by igneous and metamorphic rocks was higher than that in groundwaters hosted by other rock types, such as volcanics, carbonates, and other sedimentary rocks. The correlations between individual radionuclides were weak or insignificant.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.333-351
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• 2017

Objectives: This study examines the relationships between indoor radon concentrations and distribution from soil geological mapping in the Hwacheon and Jangsu areas. Methods: GIS and a pivot table were used for inquiries about indoor radon contents, soil characteristics, and geological differences. Results: The Hwacheon area was characterized by the presence of normal and reverse faults as a passage of runoff for radon, sufficient occurrences of minerals containing uranium within granite as a radon source, a high concentration of radon within the granite area and clear differences of radon concentrations between granitic and metamorphic areas. The Jangsu area was characterized by the presence of normal faults, wide distributions of alluvium, and ambiguities on radon concentrations indoors among areas of geological differences. Considering the granite area and alluvium surrounded with granite areas, the characteristics of radon concentrations within soils and indoors in the Jangsu area are similar to those of the Hwacheon area. High concentrations are found with entisol and inceptisol in the Hawcheon area, but with entisol, inceptisol, and ultisol in the Jangsu area. High radon concentrations are found in sandy loam and/or loam. High concentrations are found in recently constructed or brick buildings, but low concentrations in traditional or prefabricated houses showing a high possibility of outward flow. Conclusions: The overall results suggest that radon concentrations in the Hwacheon and Jangsu area are dominantly influenced by geological characteristics with additional artificial influences.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.565-583
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• 2020

In recent years, various social issues related to the natural radioactive elements detected in household goods and building materials are addressed, and should be solved promptly. In Korea, for more than 20 years, the Ministry of Environment has investigated the natural radioactive materials such as heavy metals, uranium, and radon in soil or groundwater. The origins of natural radioactive materials in them may have a close correlation with the geological factors including classification of rocks, petrogenetic origins, and deformation characteristics, but the exact geological correlations are not clarified because of the absence of the government policy preserved in the basement rocks, soils as well as groundwater in fault-related reservoirs. This study aims to perform a research on the correlation between the petrogeneses of the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks and natural radioactive concentrations in rocks (radon, uranium, thorium, potassium etc.) in Korea. Among the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks, alkaline plutonic rocks (syenite, monzonite and monzodiorite and alkali granite) show high U and Th concentrations by high solubilities of U, Th, Zr, REE, and Nb until the most extreme stages of magmatic fractionation (viz. crystal fractionation) due to high magma temperature and high alkalinity tendency. The highly fractionated high-K calalkaline and peraluminous granitic rocks (leucogranite, two-mica granite and leucocratic pegmatite are also U and Th concentrations compared with other less or medium fractionated granitic rocks (diorite, granodiorite and granite). The alkaline plutonic rocks are associated with intracontinental rifting and extensional environment after crustal thickening by collisional and subductional processes. In contrast, the dominant calc-alkaline granitic rocks in Korea are related to the arc environment of the subduction zone. In summary, the trends of the U, Th and K concentration from the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks in Korea are closely linked to the petrogenesis of the rocks in tectonic environment. The preliminary data for gamma-spectrometric mesurments of natural radionuclide contents (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks show high values in the alkaline and highly fractionated granitic rocks.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.105.1-105.1
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• 2016

Many of the complex materials developed today derive their unique properties from the presence of multiple phases or from local variations in elemental concentration. Simply performing analysis of the bulk materials is not sufficient to achieve a true understanding of their physical and chemical natures. Secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) has met with a great deal of success in material characterization. The basis of SIMS is the use of a focused ion beam to erode sample atoms from the selected region. The atoms undergo a charge exchange with their local environment, resulting in their conversion to positive and negative secondary ions. The mass spectrometric analysis of these secondary ions is a robust method capable of identifying elemental distribution from hydrogen to uranium with detectability of the parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb) in atomic range. Nano secondary ion mass spectrometer (Nano SIMS, Cameca Nano-SIMS 50) equipped with the reactive ion such as a cesium gun and duoplasmatron gun has a spatial resolution of 50 nm which is much smaller than other SIMS. Therefore, Nano SIMS is a very valuable tool to map the spatial distribution of elements on the surface of various materials In this talk, the surface imaging applications of Nano SIMS in KBSI will be presented.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 1987

The present study has determined BUN, createinine, c-AMP and $PGE_2$ activities as a clinical signs of radiation toxicity caused by uranylnitrate in rats. The significant increasing of $PGE_2$ concentration in plasma between the administration of uranylnitrate and lead nitrate were shown radiotoxic in nature on the effect of radiation energy. The reduction of PGE activities in plasma in uranylnitrate treated rats after furosemide, aldosterone and glucagone I.P. administration have observed the stimulating effect of uranium excretion into cells.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.350-360
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• 2000

In Korea, the dose limits are reduced and are set at the ICRP-60 iimits. However, derived limits tabulated as MPC in air and water are still specified in Notice No.98-12. There are some discrepancies between the primary dose limits and MPCs in air and water. Therefore, in order to accept ICRP-60 recommendations fully, derived limits such as ALI, DAC, ECL for radiological protection against ionizing radiation based on ICRP-60 recommendations were calculated using modified methods of those of 10 CFR part 20, dose limits and committed effective dose coefficients of the Basic Safety Standards of the IAEA. The derived limits in this study were also compared with those prescribed in 10 CFR part 20 as well as MPCs of Notice No. 98-12 in order to analyze the impact of implementing derived limits on nuclear facilities. ECLs in air and water for the control of radioactive discharge into the environment in this study are shown to have lower values (i.e. more conservative), for most part, than those in Notice No. 98-12. Especially, for uranium elements, ECLs in water are approximately a magnitude in the order of two lower than those in Notice No.98-12.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.261-271
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• 2000

In order to evaluate the environmental impact of U anormaly in the drainage system around the Shinbo talc mine area, U contents, their distribution patterns, bioaccumulation and a-radioactivity in stream water, stream sediments and aquatic organisms were investigated. The U contents of stream water attenuated with increasing distance from the mine area. The same attenuation pattern is shown in stream sediments from mine to 0.75 km downstream, although these contain highly enriched U contents (24~83 mg/kg) comparing with the international average concentration of surface soils (0.79~11 mg/kg). However, U content increases abruptly in sediment at 1.5 km downstream, probably due to detrital migration and rediposition of U enriched sediments. Futhermore, enriched U in downstream sediments occur in high proportions of carbonate and Fe-Mn oxide bounded forms, which show high potential of a secondary pollution source. For aquatic organisms, bio accumulation degree of U are in the order: aquatic larvae>black snail>mountain frog>crawfish. Cultured trout by the U enrich groundwater (387 ${\mu}g$/l) shows U accumulation in the part of branchia (CRs 5.25) and bones (CRs 11.2) but not in flesh (CRs 0.03). Total a-radioactivity have been measured in the level as 0.47 nCi/l for groundwater, 2.94~18 nCi/kg${\cdot}$DW for organisms and 93~328 nCi/kg${\cdot}$DW for sediments.