AECL 6958 Atomic Energy of L'Energie Atomique Canada Limited Du Canada Limitee 1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON .HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION. 1ere Conference Internationale sur les Effets sur la Sante de la Production d'Energie Edited by NORMAN E. GENTNER and PAUL UNRAU CHALK RIVER NUCLEAR LABORATORIES, ONTARIO, CANADA 12-14 SEPTEMBER 1979 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION HELD AT CHALK RIVER NUCLEAR LABORATORIES, ONTARIO, CANADA 1979 SEPTEMBER 12-14 Edited by NORMAN E. GENTNER and PAUL UNRAU Published by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Chalk River, Ontario AECL-6958 11 Foreword A conference on Health Effects of Energy Production was held at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories on 1979 September 12-14. This conference was organized at the time of the retirement of Dr. H.B. Newcombe after 32 years of service with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. A brief summary of Dr. Newcombe's distinguished career and a list of his publications has been appended to the end of the Proceedings of this conference. Financial support and facilities for this conference were provided by the Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, of which the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories form a part. The conference was intended to help clarify the risks and benefits not only of nuclear power but of other energy options as well. This area is of scientific concarn to Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company as well as to many other organizations and individual persons; Dr. Newcombe had of course been directly involved in research on this topic for many years. In order to provide a wide coverage of viewpoints on the health effects of energy production, invited speakers included a wide spectrum of research scientists as well as representatives from various organizations with a direct interest in the topic. The conference organizers are indebted to many persons at the Chalk River Laboratories for their assistance with this conference. In addition to the conference speakers, the chairpersons of each session and the editors of the Proceedings, particular thanks are due to H.C. Birnboim, F.P. Blackstein, J.D. Childs, L. Evans, G.C. Hanna, A.M. Marko, R.E.J. Mitchel, D.P. Morrison, D.K. Myers, M. Myers, C. Nagy, and P.J. Smith. Much of the work involved in preparations for the conference, in arranging practical details of the conference and in preparation of the Proceedings was carried out by Colleen Walters, whose unfailing assistance is gratefully acknowledged. EDITORS' MESSAGE Humans are becoming increasingly aware that all their activities entail some measure of risk to the environment and to their being. The production of energy entails both quantifiable risk and measurable benefit. The risks include detrimental effects on human health, and it is perhaps a sign of our times (and prosperity) that some people put a disproportionate emphasis on these aspects to the exclusion of the benefits. Higher levels of energy production and the increased standard of living which accrue have led to pronounced improvements in general health, well-being and longevity. The appreciation of this point, amongst those charged with evaluating detrimental effects of energy production, is evident in these Proceedings. The calculation of potential detrimental effects by one analysis, however, and the results from similar exercises by others, are not fully comparable. The differences between the relative risks assigned by various analyses reflect differences in underlying assumptions, methodological approaches, and other, perhaps unconscious, biases. The recognition of sources of bias is one of our most pressing concerns if a common basis of risk accounting is to be agreed upon and used. Perhaps a key benefit of this conference was the communication itself; concerned people talked in one room about all kinds of risk, in an attempt to reach common ground. If we have succeeded, this first conference on health effects of energy production should lead to more cogent views and rational approaches in the future- Norman E. Gentner, Ph.D. Paul Unrau, Ph.D. Paul Unrau, Colleen Walters, Norman Gentner CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS VI NAMES and ADDRESSES Akhtar, P., Atomic Energy of Canada Engineering Company, Sheridan Park Research Community, 2251 Speakman Ave., Mississauga, Ontario L5!< 1B2, Canada. Andon, B., Genetic Toxicology Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, U.S.A. Armstrong, B., Energy Pathways Policy Research, P.O. Box 272, Kill aloe, Ontario KOJ 2A0, Canada. Barr, N., U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20545, U.S.A. Bech-Hansen, N.T., Radiation Biology Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Bieber, C, Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, Ontario Hydro, 700 University Ave., Rm. H2-C27, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6, Canada. Birnboim, H.C., Radiation Biology Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Blackstein, F.P., Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Burling, D., Health S Safety Division, Ontario Hydro, 700 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6, Canada. Butler, G.C., Division of Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, 3111 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada. Chatterjee, R.M., Atomic Energy Control Board, 270 Albert St., P.O. Box 1046, Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5S9, Canada. Chi Ids, J.D., Radiation Biology Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Clarke, T.R., Ontario Hydro, 700 University Avc, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6, Canada. Clayton, G.K., Representative of the United Church of Canada, Deep River Community Church, Deep River, Ontario KOJ IPO, Canada. Cohen, B.L., Physics Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, U.S.A. Collins, J.H., Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Conway, C., Energy Probe, 43 Queen's Park Cres. E., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C3, Canada. Cowper, G., Health Physics Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Critoph, E., Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Devaney, J.J., Laser Division, Mail Stop 529, Los Alamos, NM 87545, U.S.A. Dinner, P., Ontario Hydro, 700 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6, Canada. VI 1 Dixon, R.S., Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, Pinawa, Manitoba ROE 1L0, Canada. Este, S.G., Energy Pathways Policy Research, P.O. Box 272, Killaloe, Ontario KOJ 2A0, Canada. Evans, D., Ontario Hydro, Bruce Generating Station, P.O. Box 3000, Tiverton, Ontario NOG 2T0, Canada. Evans, L.E., Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Finkelstein, M., Ontario Ministry of Labour, 400 University Ave., 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1S5, Canada. Foster, D., Energy Pathways Policy Research, P.O. Box 272, Killaloe, Ontario KOJ 2A0, Canada. Frost, S., Eldorado Nuclear Limited, Suite 400, 255 Albert St., Ottawa, Ontario KIP 6A9, Canada. Gentner, N.E., Radiation Biology Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Gerdingh, R.F., Safety Analysis Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Engineering Company, Sheridan Park Research Community, 2251 Speakman Ave., Mississauga, Ontario L5K 1B2, Canada. Good, L.M., Special Studies, Economic & Policy Analysis Sector, Department of Energy, Mines & Resources, 580 Booth St., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E4, Canada. Gorman, D., Ontario Hydro, Central Safety Services, 757 McKay Rd., Pickering, Ontario L1W 3C8, Canada. Hamilton, L.D., Medical Research Centre, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, U.S.A. Han, A., Division of Biological & Medical Research, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Ave., Argonne, IL 60439, U.S.A. Hanna, G.C., Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Hart, R.G., Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Research Company, Head office, 275 Slater St., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1E5, Canada. Hewitt, J.S., Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Inhaber, H., Technology Impact Division, Atomic Energy Control Board, P.O. Box 1046, Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5S9, Canada. James, A., Ministry of Environment, 135 St. Clair Ave. W., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jensen, K.B., Atomic Energy of Canada Chemical Company, P.O. Box 3504, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4G1, Canada. Joliansen, K., Ontario Hydro, 700 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6, Canada. Johnson, J.R., Biomedical Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Research Company, Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario KOJ 1J0, Canada. Vlll Kaden, D.A., Genetic Toxicology Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, U.S.A. Kimel, W.R., College of Engineering, University of Missouri at Columbia, Columbia, MO, U.S.A. Laurence, G.C. (Retired President, Atomic Energy Control Board), 1 Beach Ave., Deep River, Ontario KOJ IPO, Canada. Lewis, W.B., Department of Physics, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada. Lidstone, R., Atomic Energy 01" Canada Research