Journal
HEALTH PHYSICS
Volume 95, Issue 6, Pages 734-743Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/01.HP.0000324201.89669.30
Keywords
effluents; exposure, population; nuclear power plant; radioactivity, environmental
Categories
Funding
- Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) Fellowship
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities
- North American Technical Center (NATC) Public Radiation Safety Research Program
- Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
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Commercial nuclear power plants release gaseous and liquid radiological effluents into the environment as by-products of electrical generation. In the U.S. these releases are monitored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC) and Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Traditionally these releases have always been well below the regulatory limits. However, the tracking and analysis of nuclear power radiological effluents was stopped in 1994 by several government agencies. The purpose of this study was to compile the entire U.S. industry effluent data, identify trends, and calculate average population dose commitments since that time. Data were taken from radioactive material release reports submitted by each nuclear power plant. Industry trends were identified using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test. Total collective effective and population doses were estimated using UNSCEAR and U.S. NRC methodologies. Overall, industry releases have been level over the study time period. Public doses continue to be well below 1% of the regulatory limits.
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