Mortality among the Residents of the Three Mile Island Accident Area: 1979-1992

Talbott, Evelyn O.; Youk, Ada O.; McHugh, Kathleen P.; Shire, Jeffrey; Zhang, Aimin; Murphy, Brian P.; Engberg, R.A.

doi:10.2307/3454617

Cited by 9 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Thompson et al, quote more than double that at 22 MCi [73], whereas Gundersen points out that the sum of the NRC releases yields 36 MCi and estimates anywhere between 100 and 1000 times the NRC value [74]. Finally, epidemiological studies point to a significant epidemic of cancer that is clearly related to the Three Mile Island release and that would not have occurred if the NRC values were correct [75][76][77][78][79][80][81]. Similarly, more recently in the Fukushima disaster the public found official reports dubious and government officials appeared to be actively preventing citizens from obtaining data [82].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limitations of Nuclear Power as a Sustainable Energy Source

Pearce

2012

Sustainability

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This paper provides a review and analysis of the challenges that nuclear power must overcome in order to be considered sustainable. The results make it clear that not only do innovative technical solutions need to be generated for the fundamental inherent environmental burdens of nuclear energy technology, but the nuclear industry must also address difficult issues of equity both in the present and for future generations. The results show that if the concept of just sustainability is applied to the nuclear energy sector a global large-scale sustainable nuclear energy system to replace fossil fuel combustion requires the following: (i) a radical improvement in greenhouse gas emissions intensity by improved technology and efficiency through the entire life cycle to prevent energy cannibalism during rapid growth; (ii) the elimination of nuclear insecurity to reduce the risks associated with nuclear power so that the free market can indemnify it without substantial public nuclear energy insurance subsidies; (iii) the elimination of radioactive waste at the end of life and minimization of environmental impact during mining and operations; and (iv) the nuclear industry must regain public trust or face obsolescence as a swarm of renewable energy technologies quickly improve both technical and economic performance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limitations of Nuclear Power as a Sustainable Energy Source

Pearce

2012

Sustainability

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“…Une étude de mortalité a porté sur 32 135 habitants de la région de la centrale de Three Mile Island (TMT) 2 la suite de l'accident de 1979 avec très faibles rejets radioactifs dans l'environnement (Talbott et al, 2000). En comparaison à la population de 3 comtés voisins de Pennsylvanie, la mortalité générale de la population voisine de TMI était augmentée (taux standardisé de mortalité ou SMR à 109 chez les hommes et I I 8 chez les femmes) en raison d'augmentation des décès par maladie cardiovasculaire ou respiratoire non maligne.…”

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Risque de cancer à proximité d'installations nucléaires : études épidémiologiques

Hubert

2002

Radioprotection

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Depuis l'identification, en 1983, d'un nombre anormalement élevé de leucémies chez les enfants vivant à proximité de l'usine de retraitement de déchets nucléaires de Sellafield, au Royaume-Uni, de nombreuses études épidémiologiques ont porté sur le risque de cancer ou de leucémie dans les populations voisines des installations nucléaires. Un excès de leucémies de l'enfant a été confirmé au voisinage de Sel!afield et mis en évidence autour de quelques autres sites, en particulier Dounreay en Ecosse et Krümmel en Allemagne, alors que de nombreuses autres études locales sont restées négatives. Par?llèlement, des études portant sur plusieurs sites (au RoyaumeUni, en France, aux Etats-Unis, en Allemagne, au Canada, au Japon, en Suède, en Espagne) n'ont pas détecté d'excès glohal de leucémie ou de cancer de l'enfant à proximité des installations nucléaires. De plus, des agrégats de leucémie ont été ohservés dam des zones éloignées de tout site nucléaire. Des études analytiques ont recherché une cause aux excès de leucémies localisés autour de certains sites. Elles ont permis de rejeter l'hypothèse d'une exposition radioactive de la population. L'hypothèse génétique d'un rôle de l'irradiation des pères avant la conception de leur enfant a été évoquée pour expliquer les excès de leucémies constatés à Sellafield, mais elle n'a pas été confirmée par des études concernant d'autres régionî ou d'autres pays. II semble plus probable que ces excès de leucémies soient en rapport avec des brassages de populations. R$SUMÉABSTRACT Risk of cancer in the vicinity of nuclear installations: epidemiological studies.After the observation in 1983 of a leukaemia cluster among children living near the Sellafield nuclear waste reprocessing plant (United Kingdom), numerous epidemiological studies have heen conducted on the risk of cancer or leukaemia in populations in the vicinity of nuclear installations. The leukaemia cluster at Sellafield has heen confirmed and some other leukaemia clusters have heen identfied near a few other nuclear sites, such as Dounreay in Scotland and Krümmel in Germany, but many other local studies were negative. At the same t h e , studies considering several sites (United Kingdom, France, USA, Germany, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Spain) have not detected any glohal excess of leukaemia or cancer in children living near nuclear installations. Moreover, leukaemia clusters have heen ohserved in areas far from any nuclear site. Analytic studies have looked for a cause explaining the leukaemia clusters located near some nuclear sites. They could reject the hypothesis of a radioactive exposure of the population. The genetic hypothesis of paternal preconceptional irradiation has heen suggested to explain the leukaemia cluster at Sellafield, but it has not heen confirmed hy studies from other areas or other countries. These leukaemia clusters seem more likely to be related to population mixing.' Électricité dc Françç, Service de Radioprotection, 22-28 me Joubert, 7 5 W Paris, France.

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“…Two investigations (Hatch et al 1991;Ramaswamy et al 1991) focused on hospital-or registry-based cancer incidence among residents living within either 5 or 10 miles of the TMI nuclear plant and were carried out during a 6-year interval subsequent to the accident. The remaining two studies (Ramaswamy et al 1989;Talbott et al 2000a) assessed the mortality experiences of the residents living within 5 miles of the TMI facility with 6 and 13 years of follow-up, respectively.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The University of Pittsburgh, in collaboration with the PADoH, conducted the second mortality assessment (Talbott et al 2000a). This study reported on the 13-year mortality experience of 32,135 members of the TMI cohort (formerly known as the University of Pittsburgh/PADoH cohort) for the 1979-1992 period.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…This study was considered noteworthy, as it included a relatively long period of follow-up in a large cohort, and because several earlier reports on the cohort indicated increased cancer risk. Given that most radiosensitive tumors have long latencies (20-30 years), continued follow-up of this cohort was recommended (Talbott et al 2000a). Additionally, individual exposures were not known but estimated.…”

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Long-term follow-up of the residents of the Three Mile Island accident area: 1979-1998.

Talbott

Youk

McHugh-Pemu

et al. 2003

Environ Health Perspect

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The Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant accident (1979) prompted the Pennsylvania Department of Health to initiate a cohort mortality study in the TMI accident area. This study is significant because of the long follow-up (1979-1998), large cohort size (32,135), and evidence from earlier reports indicating increased cancer risks. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated to assess the mortality experience of the cohort compared with a local population. Relative risk (RR) regression modeling was performed to assess cause-specific mortality associated with radiation-related exposure variables after adjustment for individual smoking and lifestyle factors. Overall cancer mortality in this cohort was similar to the local population [SMRs = 103.7 (male); 99.8 (female)]. RR modeling showed neither maximum gamma nor likely gamma exposure was a significant predictor of all malignant neoplasms; bronchus, trachea, and lung; or heart disease mortality after adjusting for known confounders. The RR estimates for maximum gamma exposure (less than or equal to 8, 8-19, 20-34, greater than or equal to 35 mrem) in relation to all lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue (LHT) are significantly elevated (RRs = 1.00, 1.16, 2.54, 2.45, respectively) for males and are suggestive of a potential dose-response relationship, although the test for trend was not significant. An upward trend of RRs and SMRs for levels of maximum gamma exposure in relation to breast cancer in females (RRs = 1.00, 1.08, 1.13, 1.31; SMRs = 104.2, 113.2, 117.9) was also noted. Although the surveillance within the TMI cohort provides no consistent evidence that radioactivity released during the nuclear accident has had a significant impact on the overall mortality experience of these residents, several elevations persist, and certain potential dose-response relationships cannot be definitively excluded.

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Mortality among the Residents of the Three Mile Island Accident Area: 1979-1992

Cited by 9 publications

References 2 publications

Limitations of Nuclear Power as a Sustainable Energy Source

Limitations of Nuclear Power as a Sustainable Energy Source

Risque de cancer à proximité d'installations nucléaires : études épidémiologiques

Long-term follow-up of the residents of the Three Mile Island accident area: 1979-1998.

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