In the engineered barrier system of deep geological disposal repository, complex physicochemical phenomena occur throughout the entire disposal time, consequently impacting the safety function. The bentonite buffer, a significant component of the engineered barrier system, can be geochemically altered due to the changes in host rock groundwater, temperature, and redox condition. Such changes may have direct or indirect effects on radionuclide migration in case of canister failure. Therefore, a modeling tool that accounts for coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes is necessary for the safety assessment. To this end, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has developed the APro, a modeling interface for conducting safety assessment of deep geological disposal repository. The APro considers coupled THMC processes that influence radionuclide migration. Here, the solute transport considering thermal and hydraulic processes are calculated using the COMSOL multi-physics, while geochemical reactions are carried out in PHREEQC. The two software are coupled using a sequential non-iterative operator splitting approach, and transport of non-water H, non-water O, and charge were additionally considered to enhance the coupling model stability. Finally, the applicability of APro to simulate long-term geochemical evolution of bentonite was demonstrated through benchmark studies to evaluate the effects of mineral precipitation/dissolution, temperature, redox, and seawater intrusion.

Various linear system solvers with multi-physics analysis schemes are compared focusing on the near-field region considering thermal-hydraulic-chemical (THC) coupled multi-physics phenomena. APro, developed at KAERI for total system performance assessment (TSPA), performs a finite element analysis with COMSOL, for which the various combinations of linear system solvers and multi-physics analysis schemes should to be compared. The KBS-3 type disposal system proposed by Sweden is set as the target system and the near-field region, which accounts for most of the computational burden is considered. For comparison of numerical analysis methods, the computing time and memory requirement are the main concerns and thus the simulation time is set up to one year. With a single deposition hole problem, PARDISO and GMRESSSOR are selected as representative direct and iterative solvers respectively. The performance of representative linear system solvers is then examined through a problem with an increasing number of deposition holes and the GMRES-SSOR solver with a segregated scheme shows the best performance with respect to the computing time and memory requirement. The results of the comparative analysis are expected to provide a good guideline to choose better numerical analysis methods for TSPA.

Mercury and its compounds are globally managed chemicals as risks to the human body and ecosystem. It mainly enters the human body through ingestion of seafood, especially, methylmercury causes serious diseases such as central nervous system (CNS) disorder and renal dysfunction. In this study, total mercury (Hg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) were determined in seafood (16 species, n = 97) commonly consumed in Daejeon, using a gold amalgamation method. The average concentration (Hg/MeHg mean ± S.D. (minimum–maximun) mg/kg) of total Hg and MeHg in the samples was as follows; Fish 0.038 ± 0.058 (0.004 – 0.272) / 0.028 ± 0.047 (N.D. – 0.236), Crustacea 0.023 ± 0.021 (0.003 – 0.078) / 0.016 ± 0.018 (N.D. – 0.055), Mollusks 0.015 ± 0.015 (0.002 – 0.056) / 0.008 ± 0.013 (N.D. – 0.040). The concentration of MeHg in seafood were significantly correlated with total Hg concentration (p<0.001). The species with the highest average concentration of Hg was the Korean rockfish, but there was no sample that exceeded the maximum residual limit. The total %provisional tolerable weekly intake (%PTWI) value of MeHg for all of the samples was 3.76%, compared with the JECFA’s reference value, which indicates that there is almost no health risk from heavy MeHg intake through the consumption of seafood distributed in Daejeon.

식품의 제조, 가공, 조리 및 저장 중 많은 유해물질이 발생하며 이들은 소량이지만 장기간 노출되면 식품안전에 위협이 될 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 식품의약품안전처에서 수행한 총 식이조사(TDS) 자료를 기반으로 우리나라에서 식품섭취를 통한 이들 주요 유해물질에 대한 노출 및 위해평가 상황을 파악하고 소비자 및 기업으로 하여금 관련 위험을 저감하는 방안을 제시하고자 하는 것이다. 식품의 제조, 가공, 조리 및 저장 중 생성 유해물질 중 대표적인 아크릴아미드, 퓨란, 에틸 카바메이트, 3-MCPD, 바이오제닉 아민류, 니트로아민류 화합물, 다환 방향족화합물, 벤젠 등에 대한 식이를 통한 노출량을 조사하고 위해평가를 수행한 바, 아크릴아미드 및 퓨란의 경우 노출안전역(MOE) 10,000이하로 저감화 우선 물질로 판단되며, 나머지 물질 등의 경우 모두 노출안전역이 10,000 또는 100,000 이상으로 안전한 수준에 있는 것으로 나타났음. 그러나 향후 지속적으로 모니터링을 수행하고 ALARA 원칙에 따라 가 능한 노출 저감화를 위해 노력을 기울여야한다.

국내 고준위 방사성폐기물 심층처분시스템에 대한 프로세스 기반의 종합성능평가체계(APro) 개발을 위하여 사용자 편의성이 향상된 모델링 인터페이스를 구축하였다. APro의 모델링 인터페이스는 프로그래밍 언어인 MATLAB을 이용하여 구축되었고, 다중물리현상 모사가 가능한 COMSOL과 지화학반응 계산이 가능한 PHREEQC를 계산 엔진으로 활용하여 연산 자분리 방식을 적용하였다. APro는 모델링 영역을 기존의 정형화된 처분시스템으로 제한함으로써 모델의 자유도는 낮지만, 사용자 편의성을 향상시켰다. 처분시스템에서 고려되는 주요 현상들을 모듈화하였고, 이를“Default process”와 다수의“Alternative process”로 구분하여 사용자가 선택할 수 있도록 함으로써 모델의 유연성을 높였다. APro는 크게 입력자료 부분과 계산실행 부분으로 구성된다. 기본 입력자료는 하나의 EXCEL 파일에 일정한 포맷으로 정리되고, 계산실행 부분은 MATLAB을 이용하여 코딩되었다. 최종적인 전체 계산 결과는 독립적인 COMSOL 파일 형태로 생성되도록 하여 COMSOL을 이용한 계산 결과의 후처리가 가능하도록 하였다.

The annual total phosphorus load caused by public wastewater, nightsoil and livestock manure treatment facilities in Korea has been examined macroscopically. Annual domestic average phosphorus (P) inflows through the income of phosphate rock for the last five years (2012 - 2016) were analyzed as 76,598 tons/year. As of the year 2015, the total loadings of phosphorus attributed to public wastewater treatment facilities, nightsoil treatment facilities and livestock wastewater were estimated as 30,269 tons/year, 1,909 tons/year and 18,138 tons/year, respectively. Considering the amount of phosphorus imports, the annual phosphorus load from wastewater, livestock wastewater and excretions is equivalent to 39.5%, 23.7%, 2.5% and totally 65.7%(39.5% + 23.7% + 2.5%). Therefore, the introduction of phosphorus recovery and recycling processes for the public wastewater and livestock manure treatment facilities has been found to be effective because it could reduce the import amount of phosphate rock by up to 60% or more.

The use of microwave-assisted extraction and an acid-base clean-up process to determine the amount of methylmercury (MeHg) in marine products was suggested in order to improve the complicated sample preparation process. The optimal conditions for microwave-assisted extraction was developed by using a 10% NaCl solution as an extraction solution, setting the extraction temperature at 50℃, and holding for 15 minutes to extract the MeHg in marine products. A NaOH solution was selected as a clean-up substitute instead of L-cysteine solution. Overall, 670 samples of marine products were analyzed for total mercury (Hg). Detection levels were in the range of 0.0006~0.3801 μg/kg. MeHg was analyzed and compared using the current food code and the proposed method for 49 samples which contained above 0.1 mg/kg of Hg. Detection ranges of methylmercury followed by the Korea Food Code and the proposed method were 75.25 (ND~516.93) μg/kg and 142.07 (100.14~244.55) μg/kg, respectively. The total analytical time of proposed method was reduced by more than 25% compared with the current food code method.

본 연구에서는 패류양식장이 밀집되어 있는 고성·자란만 22개 정점, 거제·한산만 15개 정점, 진해만 18개 정점에 대하여 계절별(2월, 5월, 8월, 11월)로 퇴적물 환경인자(화학적산소요구량, 강열감량, 산휘발성황화물, 총유기탄소)와 저서 다모류 인자(출현 종 수, 서식밀도, 다양도, 균등도)에 대하여 분석하였다. 총유기탄소와 저서 다모류 다양도간의 상관계수가 0.61로 가장 높고 유의한 상관성(P<0.01)을 보여, 어장환경평가를 위한 대표인자로 설정하였다. 그 결과 두 인자간의 상관성에 의한 어장환경평가 기준 총유기탄소는 Peak Point 15 mg/g dry, Warning Point 26 mg/g dry, Contaminated Point 31 mg/g dry이었으며, 저서 다모류 다양도의 경우 H'≥2.6은 Good, 2.6>H'≥2.1은 Moderate, 2.1>H'≥1.2는 Poor, H'<1.2는 Bad로 분류되었다. 본 연구결과는 어장관리를 위한 환경기준 설정에 과학적 기여를 할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

방사성폐기물 처분 연구 사업이 법률적인 인허가 뿐만이 아니라 일반 국민의 동의를 얻기 위해서는 처분 사업의 안전성에 대한 신뢰성 획득이 중요하며 이를 위해 투명하게 공개될 수 있는 종합 성능 평가 (TSPA, Total System Performance Assessment)의 수행 이 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 처분 성능 평가의 투명성 증진을 위한 방안의 하나로 처분 종합 성능 평가 전 과정에 대해 품질 보증 원칙을 도입하여 평가 관련 전체 업무에 관한 신뢰성 향상을 꾀하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 처분 종합 성능 평가 수행의 다섯 단계인 (1) 기획, (2) 연구 수행 , (3) 문서화, (4) 내부 검토, (5) 독자적인 외부 검토 과정에 T2R3의 품질 보증 원칙을 적용한 인터넷 기반의 Cyber R&D Platform이 개발되었다. 인터넷을 기반으로 하는 본 시스템의 개발을 통해 안전성 평가 관련 모든 참여자들은 평가 전 과정에서 투명성이 유지된 데이터들에 쉽게 접근하여 이를 이용할 수 있다 Cyber R&D Platform은 안전성 평가를 위한 시나리오 개발 관련 데이터인 FEP 목록과 관련 시나리오 정보, 관련 시나리오 도출 과정 및 평가 체계 등을 체계적으로 구축한 FEAS (FEp to Assessment through Scenario development)프로그램과 안전성 평가에 필요한 입력 데이터들을 분류, 저장해 놓은 PAID (Performance Assessment Input Data) 프로그램, 그리고 이러한 자료들을 품질 보증 원칙과 절차에 의한 승인 과정을 통해 입력, 저장할 수 있는 품질 보증 시스템으로 구성되어 있으며 이를 통합 운영함으로써 도출된 데이터들의 신뢰성을 높이고자 하였다. 향후 연구에서는 Cyber R&D Platform과 평가 software와의 통합 운영으로 웹 기반 시스템에 대한 한 번의 접속만으로 안전성 평가 관련 모든 정보를 확인, 이용할 수 있도록 할 것이다.

Korea Maritime Police Agency(KMPA) has been pressed by some environmental factors. The changes in the international maritime legal system, such as the entry into force of the UNCLOS in 1994 and the promulgation of the Korea 200-mile EEZ, have radically expanded the mission of the KMPA. In addition, there is, among other nations, no such large size maritime agency, equivalent to the KMPA, except in the cases of USA, Canada, and Japan. And what is more, critics outside the KMPA, including some other government agencies and stakeholders may propose to dismantle the KMPA. In this paper, the author highlights the internal and external issues facing KMPL, and he urges KMPA to change the organizational culture for maintaining its identity and characteristics by adopting the Total Quality Management. And he tries to assess the adoption of TQM on KMPA, by using the Feasibility Assessment Technique.

The shift from elite education to mass education in Vietnam has met the demand for education for everybody as well as for quality human resource talent for an emerging nation. Under the resource constraint, understanding the quality dimensions of education and its priority level is important for effective and efficient policies. This study was carried out using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to develop quality criteria and a ranking model. Two rounds of in-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen experts in the field, who were rectors, employers, and recruitment specialists to develop the quality framework applied in Vietnamese universities under total quality management (TQM), starting from the input of the senior secondary school leavers, through a teaching process to the output. The first round of interviews were unstructured questionnaires designed to explore the main factors in quality assessment model. The second round affirmed the experts’ agreement on the assessment model. Then, fuzzy logic was applied to rank eight criteria in the quality assessment model into priority order: cost, teaching and administrative staff, leadership, curriculum, student-related factors, internationalization, admissions, and campus. The results are critical for identifying the necessary actions to enhance the education quality and to further research on the optimal quality model.

In this research, we present a new methodology to indirectly assess the concentration levels of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total nitrogen (T-N) of dewatered cake by evaluating the amounts of the volatile solids (VS) and total solids (TS). Information regarding the BOD and T-N concentrations of dewatered cake could then be used to estimate the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions caused by sewage treatment. To this end, regression equations were derived by considering the relationship between the product of two solid terms: (TS × VS) and BOD/T-N levels of digested sludge. The optimal regression equations for BOD and T-N were computed as y = 152425x (R2= 0.969, p < 0.05) and y = 128378x (R2= 0.970, p < 0.05), respectively. For the purposes of verification, the applicability of the regression equations was tested using the data for other periods not considered in the regression analysis. Accordingly, the differences between the measured and estimated concentration data (derived using the regression equations) were within the standard deviation of the measured concentrations. However, the concentrations estimated by regression equations were quite different from those obtained by conventional methods. Nonetheless, such differences did not significantly change GHG emissions, thus we conclude that the plant specific regression equations can be derived from the methods presented in this study, although more efforts are needed for its validation in various respects.