February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Nuclear Power: Facts and Fiction Better Environment with Nuclear Energy

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Windscale, Sellafield and Chernobyl Ian McAulay

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Windscale accident th October 1957 Effect: Moderate contamination within miles of Windscale. Low levels of fallout detected in the Netherlands. No attributable deaths or injuries from radioactive contamination. Factual reports in Irish newspapers. Little local interest and no political comment in Ireland at the time. No contamination detected in Ireland, either at the time or later. Some health effects claimed in 1983 as possibly due to the accident but found to be unsubstantiated by a later, more detailed study.

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Sellafield discharges from early 1950's Radioactivity found in marine produce from the Irish Sea and in seawater. Radiation dose measured in sievert, millisievert, microsievert. International dose limit: 1000 microsievert above background. Irish average exposure: 3950 microsievert (555 microsievert is medical). Peak annual dose (heavy consumer of Irish fish): 70 microsievert (7% of limit). Now fallen to less than 1 microsievert (0.01% of dose limit). Health effects often alleged - no substantiated effects found.

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Radiation doses The unit of dose equivalent is the sievert; compares radiation doses to the human body or to body organs. Acute lethal dose to the human body is in range 2 to 5 sievert, (depends on health, medical treatment available, etc.). millisievert and microsievert are used for environmental and occupational doses. Recommended annual dose limit for members of the public is 1000 microsievert over and above environmental and medical doses.

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Source of radioactivityApprox. microsievert All sources3950 Eating Irish Sea fish (1979)70 Eating Irish Sea fish (2007)0.005 Chernobyl (first year)100 Artificially in food now2.5 Radon in Ireland2000 Ireland’s average annual radiation dose

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Chernobyl accident 26 th April 1986 Ukraine: Nuclear power plant explosion - large quantity of radioactivity released to atmosphere. Deposition over much of Europe. 56 local deaths – mainly workers. Impact on Ireland: – Significant deposition due to heavy rainfall one week later. – Radioactive contamination in milk, vegetables and meat – Levels steadily decreased over the next years – No foodstuffs banned or restricted – No attributable health effects – Some rejection of allegedly contaminated food exports.

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Fukushima Daiichi accident 11 th March 2011 Major earthquake on Richter Scale Nuclear reactors shut down automatically Tsunami caused by earthquake resulted in loss of electric power at reactors. Casualties: Workers. No deaths from radiation exposure – Three received radiation burns on legs due to wading through contaminated water – Released after medical treatment General population. No deaths or injuries due to radiation exposure

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy Radiation doses: Workers – Eighteen received doses exceeding 100 mSv – Three hundred received significantly lower doses – No detectable medical consequences expected from these doses General population – 36,478 people evacuated from Fukushima area had doses assessed – 99% received doses of less than 0.3 mSv – four individuals received doses between 1.4 mSv and 1.7 mSv – No detectable medical consequences expected Fukushima Daiichi accident 11 th March 2011

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy References 1 Arnold, Lorna, Windscale 1957, Anatomy of a Nuclear Accident. (London: Macmillan, 1992 and 1995). McDermott, Veronica. Going Nuclear. (Irish Academic Press. 2007). Sheehan, P, and Hillery, I. British Medical Journal. Vol. 287, 12 November Dean, G, et al. “Investigation of a cluster of children with Down's syndrome born to mothers who had attended a school in Dundalk, Ireland”, Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2000, 57: Gallagher, D., et al, “Retrospective Search for Evidence of the 1957 Windscale Fire in NE Ireland”. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Vol. 39, No. 9 May 2005, pp

February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy References 2 McAulay, I.R., and Doyle, C., Radiocesium levels in Irish Sea Fish and the resulting dose to the Population of the Irish Republic Health Physics, Vol.48, No.3., pp , 1985 Mitchell, P. And Vintro, L.L. What is the Environmental Impact of Sellafield Discharges ?. Royal Irish Academy. “Making Sense of Sellafield”. Conference, Colgan, P.A. et al, “Radiation Doses Received by the Irish Population” Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. May Chernobyl's Legacy: Health, Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts. Chernobyl Forum, UN. September Cunningham, J. et al. Chernobyl. Its effect on Ireland. Dublin. Nuclear Energy Board