Concentrations and activity ratios of radionuclides around the nuclear facilities in Korea

The concentrations and activity ratios of the radionuclides around the nuclear facilities located in Taejon were determined. The concentrations and activity ratios of uranium isotopes in the downstream decreased with increasing distances from the point of discharge and reached the reference value after 4 km. The concentrations of uranium isotopes in the brook around LER fuel fabrication facilities were lower than those in the downstream around HWR and LWR fuel fabrication facilities, while the activity ratios of 234U/238U in the brook were higher than those in the downstream. The concentrations of uranium isotopes in the ground water measured quarterly were variable depending on the sampling time. The concentrations of the gross alpha of airborne particulates collected around the nuclear facilities were found to be in the narrow range of 0.02 to 0.10 mBq/m3 with a mean value of 0.05 mBq/m3. Both the concentrations and activity ratios of 137Cs, 239,240Pu and 90Sr around the nuclear facilities were not very different from the worldwide fallout. The concentrations of uranium isotopes in the soil samples around the nuclear facilities were very close to natural background levels. (author)