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Distribution of residual long-lived radioactivity in the inner concrete walls of a compact medical cyclotron vault room

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Abstract

Objective

Compact medical cyclotrons have been set up to generate the nuclides necessary for positron emission tomography. In accelerator facilities, neutrons activate the concrete used to construct the vault room; this activation increases with the use of an accelerator. The activation causes a substantial radioactive waste management problem when facilities are decommissioned. In the present study, several concrete cores from the walls, ceiling and floor of a compact medical cyclotron vault room were samples 2 years after the termination of operations, and the radioactivity concentrations of radionuclides were estimated.

Methods

Cylindrical concrete cores 5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length were bored from the concrete wall, ceiling and floor. Core boring was performed at 18 points. The gamma-ray spectrum of each sample was measured using a high-purity germanium detector. The degree of activation of the concrete in the cyclotron vault room was analyzed, and the range and tendency toward activation in the vault room were examined.

Results

60Co and 152Eu were identified by gamma-ray spectrometry of the concrete samples. 152Eu and 60Co are produced principally from the stable isotopes of europium and cobalt by neutron capture reactions. The radioactivity concentration did not vary much between the surface of the concrete and at a depth of 10 cm. Although the radioactivity concentration near the target was higher than the clearance level for radioactive waste indicated in IAEA RS-G-1.7, the mean radioactivity concentration in the walls and floor was lower than the clearance level.

Conclusion

The radioactivity concentration of the inner concrete wall of the medical cyclotron vault room was not uniform. The areas exceeding the clearance level were in the vicinity of the target, but most of the building did not exceed the clearance levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Quantum Science, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Toshioh Fujibuchi, Akihiro Nohtomi & Masayuki Sasaki

  2. Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Shingo Baba & Hiroshi Honda

  3. Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Isao Komiya & Yoshiyuki Umedzu

Authors
  1. Toshioh Fujibuchi
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  2. Akihiro Nohtomi
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  3. Shingo Baba
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  4. Masayuki Sasaki
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  5. Isao Komiya
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  6. Yoshiyuki Umedzu
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  7. Hiroshi Honda
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Correspondence to Toshioh Fujibuchi.

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Fujibuchi, T., Nohtomi, A., Baba, S. et al. Distribution of residual long-lived radioactivity in the inner concrete walls of a compact medical cyclotron vault room. Ann Nucl Med 29, 84–90 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0918-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0918-6

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