Earticle

Background: The concrete walls inside the vaults of cyclotron facilities are activated by neutrons emitted by the targets during radioisotope production. Reducing the amount of radioactive waste created in such facilities is very important in case they are decommissioned. Thus, we proposed a strategy of reducing the neutron activation of the concrete walls in cyclotrons during operation. Materials and Methods: A polyethylene plate and B-doped Al sheet (30 wt% of B and 2.5 mm in thickness) were placed in front of the wall in the cyclotron room of a radioisotope production facility for pharmaceutical use. The target was Xe gas, and a Cu block was utilized for proton dumping. The irradiation time, proton energy, and beam current were 8 hours, 30 MeV, and 125 μA, respectively. To determine a suitable thickness for the polyethylene plate set in front of the B-doped Al sheet, the neutron-reducing effects achieved by inserting such sheets at several depths within polyethylene plate stacks were evaluated. The neutron fluence was monitored using an activation detector and 20-g on de Au foil samples with and without 0.5-mm-thick Cd foil. Each Au foil sample was pasted onto the center of a polyethylene plate and B-doped Al sheet, and the absolute activity of one Au foil sample was measured as a standard using a Ge detector. The resulting relative activities were obtained by calculating the ratio of the photostimulated luminescence of each foil sample to that of the standard Au foil. Results and Discussion: When the combination of a 4-cm-thick polyethylene plate and Bdoped Al sheet was employed, the thermal neutron rate was reduced by 78%. Conclusion: The combination of a 4-cm-thick polyethylene plate and B-doped Al sheet effectively reduced the neutron activation of the investigated concrete wall.

Background: Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) primarily refers to damage to the hematopoietic system, myeloid system, and gastrointestinal (GI) system caused by radiation exposure. Such damage progresses to become life-threatening. In particular, as the syndrome develops very rapidly— within several hours from radiation exposure—prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment are needed, as is further research into appropriate diagnostic and treatment modalities. Materials and Methods: Minipigs, which display human-like properties, underwent wholebody irradiation at 2 or 4 Gy (doses causing hematopoietic ARS) or at higher doses of 7 or 12 Gy. Changes in the blood cells and clinical symptoms were analyzed and we performed a necropsy when the animals succumbed to ARS. Results and Discussion: The minipig irradiated with 2 Gy showed a decrease in white blood cells, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets in the early stages. However, the blood cell counts gradually increased and returned to normal values. The minipig irradiated with 4 Gy succumbed due to hematopoietic ARS. In contrast, the minipigs irradiated with 7 or 12 Gy exhibited clinical symptoms of combined GI damage and hematopoietic syndrome. Moreover, a characteristic pattern of platelet changes was observed in the 7 and 12 Gy irradiated minipigs. Conclusion: The changes in the platelet count caused by radiation exposure observed in minipigs, which are hematologically and pathohistologically similar to humans, suggest that they can be used as a novel diagnostic criterion.

Background: Shielding properties of compound or mixture is presented in terms of mass attenuation coefficients using Monte Carlo simulation. Mass attenuation coefficients of cement, gypsum and the mixture of gypsum and PbCO3 has been investigated using monte carlo MCNPX. Materials and Methods: The mass attenuation coefficients of cement, gypsum and the mixture of gypsum and PbCO3 were calculated for photon energies 365.5, 661.6, 1,173.2, and 1,332.5 keV energies. Results and Discussion: The simulated values of mass attenuation coefficients were compared avaialable experimental results, theoretical values by XCOM and found good comparability of the results. Conclusion: Standard simulation geometry used in the present investigation would be very useful for various types of sample for shielding and dosimetry applications.

Background: Nuclear facilities in South Korea have generally adopted pressurized ion chambers to measure ambient gamma ray exposure rates for monitoring the impact of radiation on the surrounding environment. The rates assessed with pressurized ion chambers do not distinguish between natural and man-made radiation, so a further step is needed to identify the cause of abnormal variation. In contrast, using NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors to detect gamma energy rates can allow an immediate assessment of the cause of variation through an analysis of the energy spectra. Against this backdrop, this study was conducted to propose a more effective way to monitor ambient gamma exposure rates. Materials and Methods: The following methods were used to analyze gamma energy spectra measured from January to November 2016 with NaI detectors installed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) dormitory and Hanbat University. 1) Correlations of the variation of rates measured at the two locations were determined. 2) The dates, intervals, duration, and weather conditions were identified when rates increased by 5 nSv∙h-1 or more. 3) Differences in the NaI spectra on normal days and days where rates spiked by 5 nSv∙h-1 or more were studied. 4) An algorithm was derived for automatically calculating the net variation of the rates. Results and Discussion: The rates measured at KAERI and Hanbat University, located 12 kilometers apart, did not show a strong correlation (coefficient of determination = 0.577). Time gaps between spikes in the rates and rainfall were factors that affected the correlation. The weather conditions on days where rates went up by 5 nSv∙h-1 or more featured rainfall, snowfall, or overcast, as well as an increase in peaks of the gamma rays emitted from the radon decay products of 214Pb and 214Bi in the spectrum. This study assumed that 214Pb and 214Bi exist at a radioactive equilibrium, since both have relatively short half-lives of under 30 minutes. Provided that this assumption is true and that the gamma peaks of the 352 keV and 1,764 keV gamma rays emitted from the radionuclides have proportional count rates, no man-made radiation should be present between the two energy levels. This study proved that this assumption was true by demonstrating a linear correlation between the count rates of these two gamma peaks. In conclusion, if the count rates of these two peaks detected in the gamma energy spectrum at a certain time maintain the ratio measured at a normal time, such variation can be confirmed to be caused by natural radiation. Conclusion: This study confirmed that both 214Pb and 214Bi have relatively short half-lives of under 30 minutes, thereby existing in a radioactive equilibrium in the atmosphere. If the gamma peaks of the 352 keV and 1,764 keV gamma rays emitted from these radionuclides have proportional count rates, no man-made radiation should exist between the two energy levels.

Background: This study presents food ingestion standards for radioactivity that can be applied in nuclear emergency exposure situations, and discusses the validity of the current domestic standards. Materials and Methods: This study derived food ingestion standards for radiocesium and radioiodine using domestic food intake rates and intervention levels, which serve as a basis for determining the necessity of public protective actions, and then compared them with the existing guidelines. Operational intervention levels were also derived using domestic food intake rates, and were compared with those of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Results and Discussion: The derived activity concentrations for food ingestion standards of radiocesium for infants were higher than those in the Act on Physical Protection and Radiological Emergency (APPRE) for all food categories, while for adults, the derived activity concentrations for drinking water and milk appeared to be slightly lower. The derived activity concentrations for vegetables, fruits, and grains were greater than those in the guidelines of the APPRE, while the derived activity concentrations for meat and seafood were similar to those in the APPRE. The derived activity concentrations for radioiodine were greater than both domestic and global standards. The calculated operational intervention levels (OILs) based on domestic food intake rates were greater than the IAEA’s default OIL6 values for most radionuclides, except for a few α-radionuclides. Conclusion: The current domestic guidelines turned out to be conservative overall, compared to the present results that were calculated using domestic food intake rates. It is recommended that the domestic guidelines should be revised and complemented transparently through an indepth review by stakeholders on a solid scientific basis.