The environmental radiation analysis on the residential area around nuclear power plants

Abstract

The environmental radiation level and radioactivity were analyzed in the Ulsan which is close to Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Ulsan is a Metropolitan city with a population of about 1, 100, 000 residents, where the density of NPPs is the highest in Korea. Environmental radiation monitoring in Ulsan has been performed since the radiation monitoring facility was opened in August 2012 and the radioactivity was measured and analyzed in the environmental samples for five months in Ulsan. The measurement of environmental radiation and radioactivity was carried out periodically for various samples including airborne dust, fallout, tap water, and precipitation. Also, sampled were the soil, rice, cabbage, and indicator plants such as Artemisia and pine needles. The basic data from the radioactivity analyses brought a fundamental data for assessing the internal exposure dose for the public due to the intake of the radio nuclides included in those samples. On the other hand, the gamma radiation in the environment was measured continuously by using an environmental radiation monitor of the ion chamber type. Actually, the measurement of gamma radiation is thought to provide the base-line data on environmental radiation/radioactivity for radiological emergencies and the real-time information compared with the background radiation. The measurement analyses showed that the radiation level of the Ulsan area is kept at a normal background level in spite of the operation of many nuclear power plants near it.