The Radiation and Decommissioning Laboratory of Central Research Institute (CRI) of Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) performs research to technically support the effective management of radiological hazards to avoid risks to civilians, the workers, and the environment from the radiological risks. The laboratory mainly consists of three technical groups: decommissioning and SF technology group, radiation and chemistry group, and radwaste and environment group. The groups carry out various R&D such as decommissioning, spent fuel management, radiation protection, water chemistry management, and radioactive waste management. The laboratory also technically supports the calibration of radiometric instruments as a Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS), approval for decommissioning, guidance for radioactive waste management, state-of-the-art technology evaluations, and technology transfer.

During the operation of a nuclear power plant (NPP), the generation of radioactive waste, including dry active waste (DAW), concentrates, spent resin, and filters, mandates the implementation of appropriate disposal methods to adhere to Korea’s waste acceptance criteria (WAC). In this context, this study investigates the potential use of polymer concrete (PC) as a high-integrity container (HIC) material for solidifying and packaging these waste materials. PC is a versatile composite material comprising binding polymers, aggregates, and additives, known for its exceptional strength and chemical stability. A comprehensive analysis of PC’s long-term integrity was conducted in this study. First, its compressive strength, which is crucial for ensuring the structural stability of HICs over extended periods, was evaluated. Subsequently, the resilience of PC was tested under various stress conditions, including biological, radiological, thermal, and chemical stressors. The findings of this study indicate that PC exhibits remarkable long-term properties, demonstrating exceptional stability even when subjected to diverse stressors. The results therefore underscore the potential viability of PC as a reliable material for constructing high-integrity containers, thus contributing to the safe and sustainable management of radioactive waste in NPPs.

Spent fuels (SFs) are stored in a storage pool after discharge from nuclear power plants. They can be transferred to for the further processes such as dry storage sites, processing plants, or disposal sites. One of important measures of SF is the burnup. Since the radioactivity of SF is strongly dependent on its burnup, the burnup of SF should be well estimated for the safe management, storage, and final disposal. Published papers about the methodology for the burnup estimation from the known activities of important radioactive sources are somewhat rare. In this study, we analyzed the dependency of the burnup on the important radiation source activities using ORIGEN-ARP, and suggested simple correlations that relate the burnup and the important source activities directly. A burnup estimation equation is suggested for PWR fuels relating burnup with total neutron source intensity (TNSI), initial enrichment, and cooling time. And three burnup estimation equations for major gamma sources, 137Cs, 134Cs, and 154Eu are also suggested.

목적 : 본 연구에서는 코로나19 이전과 이후 10대 청소년의 근시 진행 정도를 비교하여 알아보고자 하였다 방법 : 본 연구는 전북 전주시에 있는 안경원을 방문한 코로나 이전과 이후 14~16세 청소년을 대상으로 안질 환이 없고 연1회 이상 방문하여 기록된 안경처방서를 분석하였다. 코로나 이전과 이후 각각 3년간 추적조사한 굴 절이상 변화는 RM(repeated measures of ANOVA))을 사용하여 분석하였다. 결과 : 코로나19 전과 후 안경처방서를 3년간 추적하여 분석한 결과 오른눈이 왼눈보다 근시 변화량이 크게 나 타났다. 연령별 굴절이상도에서 코로나 이전은 14세에서 가장 높게 나타났고, 코로나 이후는 15세에서 가장 높게 나타났다. 근시 진행 속도는 코로나 전후 모두 14세에서 가장 큰 폭으로 증가하였다. 코로나 이전과 이후 연구대 상자의 회차별 등가구면 굴절이상 변화량을 1차년도와 3차년도를 비교한 결과 코로나 이전은 –0.68±0.52 D였으 며, 이후는 –1.01±0.55 D로 코로나 이후 근시가 매우 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 결론 : 본 연구에서는 코로나 이전보다 이후 10대 청소년의 근시 진행이 빠른 속도로 진행되는 경향을 보였으 며, 이에 대한 다양한 원인을 찾는 지속적인 연구가 필요하다. 추후 청소년의 시력저하 및 근시 진행을 예방하기 위해 국민 안보건 복지 차원에서 계속적이고 추가적인 연구를 시행할 것을 제안한다.