Fukushima Aftermath/Public health impacts of nuclear power plants

Relative human exposure from nuclear vs. fossil fuels edit

Relative radiation exposures

  • Nuclear .004
  • Natural terrestrial radiation 240
  • Naturally occurring in human body (bones, etc.) 40

Japan and the Future of Nuclear Energy [1]

Public health impacts edit

The public health effects of a nuclear power plant are far less than that of coal, lignite, oil, gas and even photovoltaic. [2][3][4] Only wind power weighs in with lower numbers in terms of the parameters of

  • years of life lost
  • respiratory hospital admissions
  • cerbrovascular hospital admissions (stroke)
  • congestive heart failure
  • and others.

In terms of lost activity days, the comparisons were stark:

  • 1303 for coal
  • 12,248 for oil
  • 1446 for gas
  • 1977 for photovoltaic
  • 314 nuclear.

Similar results obtained for years of life lost

References edit

  1. Burton Richter director emeritus SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (April 11, 2011). Japan and the Future of Nuclear Energy (video conference). Stanford University. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  2. Kerwitt; et al. Public Health Impacts per TWh. Germany. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  3. "Risk Analysis". 18 (4). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Burton Richter director emeritus SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (April 11, 2011). Japan and the Future of Nuclear Energy (video conference). Stanford University. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help)