Radiation doses from airborne effluents of model coal-fired and nuclear power plants (1000 megawatts electric) are compared. Assuming a 1 percent ash release to the atmosphere (Environmental Protection Agency regulation) and 1 part per million of uranium and 2 parts per million of thorium in the coal (approximately the U.S. average), population doses from the coal plant are typically higher than those from pressurized-water or boiling-water reactors that meet government regulations. Higher radionuclide contents and ash releases are common and would result in increased doses from the coal plant. The study does not assess the impact of non-radiological pollutants or the total radiological impacts of a coal versus a nuclear economy.

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1. Introduction 2 2. Natural Radioactivity in Coal 3 3. Source Term for a Model Advanced lOOO-MW(e) Coal-Fired Power Plant 8 k. Source Terns for Model Advanced Nuclear Plants 10 5. Dose Calculations U 5.1 Source Tenr. Methodology 16 6. Results and Discussion 17 6.1 Percentage Contributions of Radionuclides to Exposure and Exposure Pathways 20 6.2 The Effect of Varying Food Intakes on Dose Commitments 28 6.3 Effect of Higher Uranium and Thorium Concentrations on Dose Commitments 29 6. If The Effect of Higher Fly-Ash Releases on Dose Commitments 31

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