The high-level nuclear waste (HLW) repository disposes of high-level nuclear waste at a depth of 500 m to 1,000 m underground. Structural health monitoring must be accompanied by the complex environmental conditions of high temperature, high humidity, radiation, and mechanical stress. A thermocouple for measuring temperature, total stress meter and pore pressure meter for measuring stress and water pressure, relative hygrometer and electrical resistivity sensor (TDR or SUS) for measuring humidity, accelerometer for measuring crack signals, and strain gauge for measuring displacement are used. For safety, after disposing of HLW in the HLW repository, access to the disposal tunnel gets blocked, making it impossible to replace or remove the monitoring sensors. So, it is necessary to evaluate the effect of the HLW repository’s environmental conditions on the monitoring sensors and enhance their durability through quantitative life evaluation and shielding. Before evaluating the life of accelerometers and strain gauges used in the HLW repository, an experimental study is conducted to determine failure modes and failure mechanisms under radiation conditions, which are unique environmental conditions of the HLW repository.

In the nuclear environment, sensors ensure safety, monitoring, and operational efficiency under various operating conditions. These sensors come in various forms, each tailored to specific purposes, including nuclear safety and security, waste treatment and storage, gas leak detection, temperature and humidity monitoring, and corrosion detection. Ensuring the longevity of sensors without the need for frequent replacements is a vital goal for researchers in this field. This paper explores materials that can act as shields to protect sensors from harsh environmental conditions (high radiation and temperatures) to enhance their lifetime. The types of material that had been explored were divided into categories: metal and non-metal. Fourteen types of metal and seven different plastic materials were studied and focused on their characteristics and current applications. Considering properties like melting point, intensity, and conductivity, plastic materials are chosen to be examined as sensor shielding material. A preliminary experiment was conducted to verify signal characteristics changes by shielding material. Metal material and plastic material each were placed in the middle of the granite and the target sensor. The result showed that when metal is between the granite and the sensor, the density and impedance are higher in granite than in the metal. This leads to signal attenuation and a shift in resonance frequency, while plastic does not. Therefore, PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) and PAI (Polyamide-imide) have lower density and impedance than granite while also possessing heat, moisture, and radiation resistance for effective shielding.

Airborne surveys are an essential analysis method for rapid response and contamination identification in the early event of a radiation emergency. On the other hand, airborne surveys are far from the ground, so it is necessary to convert the dose rate at a height of 1 m above the ground. In order to improve the accuracy of the analysis value, a lot of analysis of the measurement data is required. In our previous research, we developed MARK-A1, an instrument for rapid radiation aerial survey in high radiation environment, and MARK-M1, a multipurpose instrument for radiation detection. In this study, a large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to conduct airborne surveys using three types of detectors in the Jeju Island environment. The NaI(Tl) detector uses one 3-inch scintillator (38 mm φ × 38 mm H), and the LaBr3 detector uses two 2-inch scintillators (25 mm φ × 25 mm H). The CZT detector uses a detector with dimensions of (15 mm × 15 mm × 7.5 mm). The UAV has a payload of 15 kg (J10, JCH systems Inc. Seoul, Korea). Three different detectors were operated at a constant height of 20 m, 30 m, and 50 m. The flight experiments were performed in the west near Jeju City. Dose rate conversion factors were used to convert the dose rate from the measured spectra, and hovering flights were conducted between 1 and 50 meters to derive altitude correction factors. In this paper, the data measured with each detector in the same area were compared and the differences were derived.

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in March 2011, many Koreans were concerned that products exposed to radioactive materials released from the nuclear power plant would be imported into Korea. Systematic radiation monitoring was required for food and daily necessities imported from the nuclear accident area. The need for a legal system to support systematic radiation monitoring was also demanded. The Act on Protective Action Guidelines against Radiation in the Natural Environment was enacted to resolve concerns regarding environmental radiation in Korea in July 2011. According to this law, radiation monitoring equipment has been installed and operated at major airports and ports nationwide. This paper aims to review the radiation monitoring system of the Korean government comprehensively. The legal system and the legal basis for radiation monitoring of imported cargo conducted by each department were investigated by analyzing the laws and regulations of radiation monitoring for the relevant cargo items. In addition, the current status of radiation monitoring by the government departments was examined to determine how radiation monitoring for imported cargo is performed within the legal system. The investigation of the current radiation monitoring system for imported cargo in Korea confirmed that radiation monitoring is conducted by classifying cargo items under the jurisdiction of each government department for all imported cargo. However, the reduction in efficiency of radiation monitoring of imported cargoes, unclear legal grounds for radiation monitoring of imported cargo by some departments, the occurrence of overlapping inspections by departments, and the difficult process of issuing the radiation test certificate required for customs clearance by the Korea Customs Service were also identified. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the current radiation monitoring system for imported cargo in Korea ought to be improved, taking into account efficiency, overlapping inspection, legal background, and the difficult process of issuing the certificates.

When the leakage of radioactive material or radiation to the environment or a concern, it is important to accurately understand the impact on the environment. Therefore, environmental effects evaluation using modeling based on meteorological data and source-term data is carried out, or environmental radiation monitoring which is an emergency response activity that directly measures dose is performed. As lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, environmental effects evaluation and modeling cannot utilize during the emergency and decision-making process for protective action for the public. Thus, rapid environmental radiation monitoring is required. In Korea, when an emergency is issued at a nuclear facility, urgent environmental radiation monitoring is conducted based on the national nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan, which can provide important information for decisionmaking on public protective actions. A review of strategies for urgent environmental radiation monitoring is important in performing efficient emergency responses. The main purpose of urgent environmental radiation monitoring is to gather data for decisionmaking on public protective actions to minimize the damage from the accident. For effective data collection and distribution, support from the national and local government and local public organizations and radiation expertise groups, and nuclear facility licensee are required. In addition, an emergency environmental radiation monitoring manual is required to immediately perform environmental monitoring in an emergency situation. The manual for emergency monitoring should include the activities to be conducted according to the phases of the emergency. The phases of the emergency are divided into pre-leakage, post-leakage, intermediate, and recovery. The reasons for establishing strategies are government and public information, the implementation of urgent population protection countermeasures, predicting and tracking plume trajectory, and detection of any release, the protection of emergency and recovery workers, the implementation of agricultural countermeasures and food restrictions, the implementation of intermediate- and recovery-phase countermeasures, contamination control. Besides meteorological data, ambient dose rate and dose, airborne radionuclide concentration, environmental deposition, food, water, and environmental contamination, individual dose, and object surface contamination data are also required for making information for the public.

Republic of Korea (ROK) is operating the Integrated Environmental Radiation Monitoring Network (IERNet) in preparation for a radioactive emergency based on Article 105 of the Nuclear Safety Act (Monitoring of Nationwide Radioactive Environment). 215 radiation monitoring posts are monitoring a wide area, but their location is fixed, so they can’t cover areas where the post is not equipped around the Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). For this, a mobile radiation monitoring system was developed using a drone or vehicle. However, there are disadvantages: it is performed only at a specific cycle, and an additional workforce is required. In this study, a radiation monitoring system using public transportation was developed to solve the above problems. Considering the range of dose rates from environmental radiation to high radiation doses in accidents, the detector was designed by combining NaI (TI) (in the low-dose area) and GM detector (in the high-dose area). Field test was conducted by installed on a city bus operated by Yeonggwang-gun to confirm the performance of the radiation monitoring system. As a result of the field test, it was confirmed that data is transmitted from the module to the server program in both directions. Based on this study, it will be possible to improve the radiation monitoring capability near nuclear facilities.

Investigations and monitoring of environmental radiation are important for preventing expected accidents or for early detection of unexpected accidents, in nuclear facilities and the surrounding. In the event of an environmental radiation accident, it should be possible to identify and analyze the radiation-contaminated area. Therefore, a rapid radiation monitoring system is required for immediate response and necessary measures. In this study, the distribution of radiation mapping is performed on a contaminated area using 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional contour mapping techniques. The entire surrounding area can be understood at a glance by displaying the radiation contour line on the map of the measured area.

Tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) can measure the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) spectrum and calculate the equivalent dose for the complicated radiation field in space. In this paper, we developed and characterized a TEPC for radiation monitoring in International Space Station (ISS). The prototype TEPC which can simulate a 2 μm of the site diameter for micro-dosimetry has been tested with a standard alpha source (241Am, 5.5 MeV). Also, the calibration of the TEPC was performed by the 252Cf neutron standard source in Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS). The determined calibration factor was kf = 3.59×10-7 mSv/R.