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Tritium’s Health Hazards at Pickering: Why We Should Be Concerned

This article discusses the high tritium concentrations in air moisture, food, and water near the Pickering Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and the potential health risks associated with it. The article presents epidemiological studies showing adverse effects such as Down Syndrome, infant mortality, leukemia, and increased cancer rates in nearby communities. The Precautionary Principle is emphasized, recommending caution and action to protect the vulnerable and most exposed populations. The article concludes with a health recommendation to close down the Pickering NPP.

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Tritium’s Health Hazards at Pickering: Why We Should Be Concerned

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  1. Tritium’s health hazards at Pickering: - why we should be concernedv 2October 25 2016 Dr Ian FairlieConsultant on Radiation in the EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom

  2. Pickering NPP

  3. 30 km zone

  4. Globe and Mail: June 12 2007

  5. Annual Tritium Releases at Pickering and Darlington NPPs1 TBq = 1,000,000,000,000 Bq = one trillion Bq * includes HTO + HT source: OPG Annual Environmental Reports

  6. Tritium releases from reactor types data source: UNSCEAR (2000)

  7. Release to Air

  8. Estimated tritium levels in cow’s milk(EU RODOS Model) OBT Bq/kg8th Meeting of the IAEA (EMRAS) Tritium & C-14 Working GroupMay 30 - June 1, 2007 - Bucharest, Romania (http://www.nipne.ro/emras/)

  9. Tritium concentrations in airnear Canadian reactors Bq/m3 from Osborne RV (2002) Tritium in the Canadian Environment: Levels and Health Effects. Report RSP 0153-1. Prepared for the CNSC.

  10. Estimated tritium intakes near a Canadian nuclear power stationafter Osborne, 2002;annual intake values from Health Canada (1994)

  11. Are there ill health effects? • Yes, several epidemiology studies show adverse effects near Pickering/Darlington • Down Syndrome and infant mortality • Leukemia in Ajax and Clarington • Lane et al and Wanigaratne et al studies in 2013 both showed large stat sig cancer increases • see handout

  12. Main Conclusions • high tritium concentrations in air moisture, food, water near NPPs • therefore high tritium exposures to nearby residents • increased cancers, leukemias, birth defects

  13. Precautionary Principle • err on the side of caution • do not use scientific uncertainty as excuse for inactivity • where there is evidence of harm – act to reduce or avoid it or warn about it

  14. Health Recommendations • protect the vulnerable and most exposed • pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children (<4 yrs) should not live < 10 km • people < 5 km should not consume food from their gardens, beehives, orchards, and wild foods growing nearby • close down Pickering NPP asap

  15. Thanks for listening!Acknowledgments toOCAA and Green Cross (Canada)

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