Abstract
This chapter lists the different main radioactive isotopes produced in the fuel of nuclear plants which are released in very small amounts into the environment. It then explains the different pathways leading to radioactive exposure of the human body. Several containment barriers in a nuclear power plant lead to extremely low leak rates of radioactive substances. This is followed by the definition of the radiation dose, the radiation weighting factors, the tissue weighting factors, the equivalent radiation dose and the natural background radiation dose. Radiation exposure from man-made sources is strictly controlled by governmental agencies. Permissible radiation dose limits were set by governments for radioactive releases from nuclear installations for the population and for employees who might receive enhanced radiation during their occupation. This also holds for rescue operation teams after a severe nuclear accident. Finally the radioactive effluents of LWRs and the effective doses to the public for airborne and liquid effluents of LWRs are presented. This is compared with the release of radioactive nuclides from coal fired plants.
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Kessler, G., Veser, A. (2014). Radioactive Releases from Nuclear Power Plants During Normal Operation. In: The Risks of Nuclear Energy Technology. Science Policy Reports. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55116-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55116-1_4
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