Public health analysis resulting from commercial nuclear power plant radiological emissions
Abstract
A comprehensive evaluation and analysis of U.S. commercial nuclear power radiological effluent releases and radiological environmental monitoring programs was conducted for the 11 year time span of 1995-2005. Effluent activities were compiled and analyzed and trends were identified using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test to show long-term U.S. nuclear industry effluent release patterns. Using UNSCEAR and U.S. NRC dose methodologies, the average collective effective doses and doses to maximally exposed individuals were calculated. Summary data from every plant's radiological environmental monitoring programs were studied to identify the impact of radiological releases. Evaluation of this portion of the research led to an on-site investigation at one nuclear power plant. Results of the research showed that the entire industry effluent releases have mostly remained level over the study period. Decreasing trends were shown in the PWR and total gaseous fission and activation gases and the BWR non-tritium radionuclides. Increasing trends were shown in the PWR and total liquid tritium and the BWR gaseous tritium. Both estimated collective effective doses and doses to maximally exposed individuals were well below regulatory limits. The highest annual effective dose and cumulative dose calculated was 1.68 × 10-7 mSv GW-1 person-1 and 1.19 × 10-9 mSv, respectively. No correlation was found between effluent release activities and electrical generation, when compared alone. Analysis of the radiological environmental monitoring programs demonstrated that, overall, the routine operation of all facilities had no significant radiological impact on the environment or human health for the study time period. Of the 1.4 × 106 analyses studied, only 0.0116% were statistically different from the controls. The newly discovered tritium washout and concentration was revealed to be significant at one plant, however, this needs to be studied in greater detail. The maximum total body dose calculated from this pathway was 1.05 × 10-10 mSv.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Miller, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Nuclear engineering|Health sciences|Public health
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