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Nuclear Power and the Environment. INSTITUTTON International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

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Nuclear Power and the Environment. INSTITUTTON International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria) DOCUMENT RESUME ED 070 606 SE 014 971 TITLE Nuclear Power and the Environment. INSTITUTTON International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria) . PUB DATE 72 NOTE 92p. t4 EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS Bibliographic Citations; *Conference Reports; *Energy; Environmental Education; Health Education; *Public Health; *Radiation; *Safety; Science Education ABSTRACT This booklet is a summary of an international symposium, held in August 1970 in New York City, on the environmental aspects of nuclear power stations. The symposium was convened under the sponsorship .of the International Atomic Energy Agency mum and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (USAFC). The information is presented in a condensed and readily understandable form, and it is hoped that it will be useful to those interested in a summary view of the public health and environmental aspects of nuclear power production. Contents are organized according to major headings as follows: "The Role of Atomic Energy in Meeting Future Power Needs," "Radiation Protection Standards," "Safe !Handling of Radioactive Materials," "Other Impacts," "Public Health Considerations," and "Summary." Included in the summary are lists of "pertinent publications" of the IAEA, the World Health Organization (WHO), other international bodies, and a list of consultants and contributors. In addition to the symposium summary, this booklet also contains contributions supplied by 28 experts from IAEA and WHO and a number of member states. (LK) 1;r;;;;Ii .7.1141 I . ; .41fi- W....ACA:11=0d se: '. ID fir ;.. tai 7S. .1- .-=4.,.!`'.1-141.;1..7. "41 *rk'et's, et U S [APARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE V, OFFICE OF EDUCATION Vi THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- OUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG- CO INATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR MIN- IONS STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY C=i REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EOLI- La CATION POSITION OR POLICY a a Ai a S a "44;7 1/4411110. nuclearpower and the environment Prepared by the IAEA in co-operation with WHO Printed by the IAEA in Austria table of contents MeV The Role of Atomic Energy in Meeting Future Power Needs 1 Future World Energy Needs the role of World Energy Resources The Projected Role of Nuclear Power atonic me The Nuclear Fuel Cycle 4 Environmental Aspects of Nuclear Power Production 5 meeting Radioactivity Transportation finuture Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations power needs Radiation Protection Standards 8 radiation Basic Radiation Concepts 10 Biological Effects of Radiation 10 Basic Radiation Protection Standards 11 protection Derived Release Limits .13 Natural Radioactivity 14 standffds ManMade Sources of Radiation Exposure 15 Safe Handling of Radioactive Materials 19 safe handling Mining, Milling, Enrichment and Fuel Fabrication 20 Nuclear Power Plants 21 Sources of Radioactivity of radioactive Radioactive Waste Generation and Management Boiling Water Reactors Pressurized Water Reactors materials Gas Cooled Reactors Heavy Water Reactors Fast Breeder Reactors Accident Considerations 39 Accident Prevention Accident Mitigation Typical Accidents Emergency Planning Site Characteristics Operating Experience in the United States Fuel Reprocessing 47 Origins and Types of Effluents and Wastes Control of Effluents and Wastes Transportation 52 .5 1 Other Impacts 55 other Plant Construction 55 Transmission Lines 55 Thermal Discharges 55 impacts Comparison of Thermal Release from Fossil-fuelled and Nuclear Plants Cooling Water Sources and Methods of Heat Disposal Physical Behaviour of Heated Discharges Thermal Effects on Biota and Ecology Public Health Considerations 61 Nuclear Power Generation 61 public Mining Milling, Enrichment and Fuel Fabrication Reactors health Normal operations Accidental events Thermal aspects considerationsChemical aspects Fuel Reprocessing Transportation Public Health and Safety Programmes 69 Operational Health and Safety Programmes The Role of Health Authorities The Role of International Organizations Summary 75 Annex I. Pertinent Publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency_80 Annex II. Pertinent Publications of the World Health Organization 83 Annex I I I. Pertinent Publications of other International Bodies 83 List of Consultants and Contributors 85 Power demands solar energy; but these have not yet been de- broughout the world veloped to a point at which their widespread use in are increasing: the next few decades can be foreseen. energy is essential The nuclear power industry has been developing to assure public healthin an era in which much attention is given and to provide for the quality of life to which man to the preservation of public health aspires. Nuclear energy, based on fiction, is in and environmental quality. No industry, including a position to fill these needs with less detriment to the nuclear industry, can truthfully claim to the environment than most fossil fuels. be free from all public health and In the longer term man may need to evolve other environmental effects, but the nuclear industry has source' of power such as fusion energy or given serious attention to these problems. 4 Probably more factual information on the effects and compiled by Dr. D.G. Jacobs, who served as of radioactivity has been compiled than for scientific secretary. A second consultants' any other potential pollutant. meeting was convened in January 1972 to review the assembled draft. (A list of consultants Biologists have shown that radiation doses as low and contributors is given at the end.) as 0.5 to 1.0 rad per day administered continuously can give rise to Compilation of the booklet presented a number of observable genetic and somatic effects in small difficulties. The time period between its mammals. These levels are about a factor conception and its desired date of completion of 1000 higher than the ICRP annual dose limits forwas quite short, especially in view of the number of the general public, and nearly 10 million contributions received. There was an attempt times as high as the average radiation dose to compile a manuscript which was uniform increment resulting at present from the operation while at the same time maintaining the character of of nuclear installations. At the very low levels the various contributions. of radiation to which members of the Further, the interests and technical background public are exposed the frequency of effects is so of the prospective audience low as to be not observable; as a result it is presents a broader spectrum than one would possible neither to prove nor to disprove normally try to cover the actual occurrence of effects at these levels. with a single publication. As a result there is Radiation protection standards are set on the basis that the effects may occur at low dosesmore repetition and parallel material in the booklet than one might hope to find in proportion to the effects observed at higher though in part this is deliberate. For example, the dose rates, but evidence exists to suggest that the effects occur with even less frequency, if at all. third chapter contains more operational details than most readers would require, and we A similar situation exists with respect to accidents. suggest that this chapter could be omitted by non- Although there have been malfunctions of specialists. The information presented may be nuclear power reactors, in no case has of considerable interest, however, to others u.: re been a release of radioactivity to the environ- in the intended audience. The first part of the fifth ment ;n amounts large enough to result in an chapter closely parallels Chapter III with regard overexposure of the public. Because of the excel- to the topics discussed, but the discussions lent recori of safety that has been attained, take the form primarily of an evaluation of the it is not pinsible to establish quantitatively what public health and environmental aspects of the probe aility of a major reactor accident the various operations rather than a description of is, excer that it is certainly very low. operations and procedures. We are hopeful that Eng:l.r.dered safety features continue to be developedin spite of its admitted shortcomings the to improve even further the reliability of booklet will be useful to those interested in a sum- V reactors to operate without incident. mary view of the public health and environ- mental aspects of nuclear power production. Interest in the environmental aspects of nuclear power stations led the International No one can profess to be able to quantify at this Atomic Energy Agency, in co-operation with the time all of the public health and environ- United States Atomic Energy Commission, mental effects of nuclear power for the future. to convene a symposium in New York The attitude of the nuclear power industry on this topic in August 1970. The enthusiastic is to proceed with due caution after giving con- response both during and after that meeting, and sideration to all facets thought to be the interest in environmental matters potentially detrimental. Concurrently, programmes evidenced by the convening of the United Nations are conducted to advance our knowledge V Conference on the Human Environment of the impact of the industry and to in 1972, led to the decision to summarize the improve further its safety aspects, with continued information presented in New York in a condensedperiodic reviews on the basis of new and readily understandable form for those information. to view of their responsibility not engaged directly in this field of to protect the health of populations, public health work. The World Health Organization has co- authorities are following continuously operated in the preparation of this booklet, which the development of new sources of power and is the result. It was planned at a consultants' their effects on the human environment. meeting convened in Vienna in June 1971. The nuclear industry has achieved a commendable Following this meeting contributions to the bookletsafety record to date, and it hopes to continue were supplied by 28 experts from the IAEA to set an example of thorough attention and WHO and a number of Member States, to safety which other industries may follow.
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