Consequence assessment of hypothetical urban radiological dispersal device incident in Korea

Moses Oboo; Victor Bakut Nytak; Ngwenya Bulelwa; Juyoul Kim

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107332

Consequence assessment of hypothetical urban radiological dispersal device incident in Korea

J Environ Radioact. 2024 Feb:272:107332. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107332. Epub 2023 Nov 18.

Authors

Moses Oboo¹, Victor Bakut Nytak¹, Ngwenya Bulelwa¹, Juyoul Kim²

Affiliations

¹ Department of NPP Engineering, KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Republic of Korea.
² Department of NPP Engineering, KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jykim@kings.ac.kr.

PMID: 37984219
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107332

Abstract

Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDDs) are designed to disperse radioactive material over a wide area, leading to significant consequences to the environment and public health. This paper discusses the radiological effects of a potential RDD detonation containing ¹³⁷Cs and ²⁴¹Am in the commercial area of Busan, South Korea. The assessment, conducted with HotSpot Health Physics and RESRAD-RDD codes, found that summer had the most significant impact, with a maximum total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) of 280 mSv at 100 m and this decreased to 1 mSv at 4.5 km from the detonation point within the time interval of 35 min.

Keywords: Busan city; RESRAD-RDD; Radiological dispersal device; Sheltering and evacuation; Total effective dose equivalent.

MeSH terms

Nuclear Weapons*
Radiation Monitoring*
Radioactivity*
Republic of Korea