According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications and conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, there may be an association between proximity to a nuclear power plant and cancer death rates.
The researchers estimate that around 115,000 cancer deaths in the United States between 2000 and 2018 may be linked to proximity to nuclear power plants.
This corresponds to approximately 6,400 deaths per year.
However, they emphasize that the findings do not prove that the plants caused the deaths.
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Higher cancer mortality
The study covers all U.S. counties and all nuclear power plants that were in operation during the period from 2000 to 2018.
Information about the plants’ locations was obtained from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Data on cancer deaths were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Instead of examining one plant at a time, the researchers measured the cumulative distance between each county and one or more nuclear power plants.
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This approach was intended to provide a comprehensive national overview.
The results show that counties located closer to nuclear power plants generally had higher cancer mortality rates.
Other explanations examined
The researchers accounted for a range of factors that could also influence cancer risk.
These include income, education, smoking, obesity, climate, and distance to hospitals.
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Even after these adjustments, the association was most pronounced among older residents.
However, the study is not based on direct radiation measurements, and the researchers therefore cannot establish a direct causal link.
According to the research team, further research is needed, particularly as nuclear power is increasingly highlighted as a climate-friendly energy source.
Sources: Science Daily, and Nature Communications.
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