Radiological impact of airborne effluents of coal-fired and nuclear power plants

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7211874· OSTI ID:7211874

McBride, J P; Moore, R E; Witherspoon, J P; Blanco, R E

Radiological impact of naturally occurring radionuclides in airborne effluents of a model coal-fired steam plant is evaluated assuming a release to the atmosphere of 1 percent of the ash in the coal burned and compared with the impact of radioactive materials in the airborne effluents of model light-water reactors. The principal exposure pathway for radioactive materials released from both types of plants is ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs. For nuclear plants immersion in the airborne effluents is also a significant factor in the dose commitment. Assuming that the coal burned contains 1 ppM uranium and 2 ppM thorium together with their decay products and using the same impact analysis methods used in evaluating nuclear facilities, the maximum individual dose commitments from the coal plant for the whole body and most organs (except the thyroid) are shown to be greater than those from a pressurized-water reactor (PWR) and, with the exception of the bone and kidney doses, less than those from a boiling-water reactor (BWR). With the exception of the bone dose, the maximum individual dose commitments from the coal plant are less than the numerical design guideline limits listed for light-water reactors (LWRs). Population dose commitments from the coal plant are higher than those from either nuclear plant.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 7211874
• Report Number(s): ORNL-5315
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220500 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects
500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DOSE COMMITMENTS
DOSES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FOOD
FOOD CHAINS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GASEOUS WASTES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INGESTION
INTAKE
MASS TRANSFER
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POPULATIONS
POWER PLANTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTES