U.S. government suspends nuclear power plant cancer risk study
Source: Xinhua Net News Date: 2015-09-10
Xinhuanet, Washington, September 9-The U.S. government recently halted a five-year nuclear power plant cancer risk study because the study took too long and was too expensive, and regular inspections showed that U.S. nuclear power plants have a significant impact on the environment The amount of radiation is also very small and will not increase the risk of cancer in nearby residents.
Previously, the National Cancer Institute concluded in 1990 that there was no evidence of an increase in cancer deaths among residents near nuclear power plants. But the study has been going on for many years and focused on the number of cancer deaths, not the risk of cancer. To this end, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission commissioned the National Academy of Sciences in 2010 to conduct a cancer risk study in the area where seven nuclear facilities are located, including some nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel storage sites that have ceased operations.
According to a memorandum released by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week, it may take 8 to 10 years to complete the research and cost $ 8 million, "too long and too expensive." At the same time, the National Radiation Protection and Measurement Commission, supported by the U.S. Congress, is also updating the 1990 report. Although its research still has a limit on the number of cancer deaths, it can be completed in 2 to 3 years, and it only costs 250 Ten thousand U.S. dollars.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a statement that it was "unrealistic" to proceed with the study's considerable time, resources, and the agency's existing budget constraints, and decided to suspend the study.
The thorium statement emphasized that US nuclear power plants follow strict regulations to limit the amount of nuclear radiation released to the surrounding environment in daily operations. Relevant agencies also regularly sample and analyze near nuclear power plants, and the results show that even if there is radiation, the amount of radiation is not enough to cause an increased cancer risk for nearby residents.
The agency emphasizes that the amount of radiation received by residents near nuclear power plants is usually less than 1% of the amount of radiation received by a person in various natural backgrounds and medical sources each year. In addition, studies in Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland have shown that there is no evidence that nuclear power plants are associated with increased cancer risk in nearby residents.