H. Slaper et R. Blaauboer, A PROBABILISTIC RISK ASSESSMENT FOR ACCIDENTAL RELEASES FROM NUCLEAR-POWER-PLANTS IN EUROPE, Journal of hazardous materials, 61(1-3), 1998, pp. 209-215
The 1986 accident with the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl has shown
that severe accidents with a nuclear power plant can lead to a large s
cale contamination of Europe. At present, over 200 nuclear power react
ors for commercial electricity production are operational in Europe. A
n integrated assessment of probabilistic cancer mortality risks due to
possible accidental releases from the European nuclear power plants i
s provided. Location specific risks are presented in maps of Europe. T
he excess mortality risk due to the combined operation of the European
nuclear power plants is estimated to be about 10 X 10(-8) per year in
western Europe. Going East the risks increase gradually to over 1000
X 10(-8) per year in regions of the former Soviet Union, where reactor
s of the Chernobyl type are located. The nuclear power plants in easte
rn Europe dominate the estimated risk pattern and contribute at least
40-50% to the average risk in western Europe. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc
e B.V. All rights reserved.