Public Health

Did you know?

The radiation emitted by the operation of a nuclear power plant is so low that it cannot be distinguished from the natural radiation found in nature. Natural radiation includes cosmic rays emitted by the sun. A single airplane trip from Montréal to Vancouver exposes passengers to a dose of radiation that is five times greater than what people living near a nuclear power plant are exposed to in a year.
Medical X-rays expose patients to ionizing radiation that varies between 0.01 mSv (for a dental X-ray) and 10 mSv (for an abdominal scan) – between 10 and 10,000 times more exposure than a person living less than two kilometres from the generating station.

In Canada, natural ionizing radiation exposes people to a yearly dose of 2.4 mSv. Natural sources of radiation include solar cosmic rays, soil and materials such as granite and brick, as well as food minerals.

In addition to this natural exposure, people are exposed to ionizing radiation from man-made sources, such as medical examinations, airplane travel and television, which add an average of 1 mSv per person.

The effects of exposure on the human body are dependent upon several factors: radiation type (alpha, beta, gamma), dose and duration.

According to a 2003 study by the Direction de santé publique of the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux, cancer rates in the area around Gentilly-2 nuclear generating station are no higher than elsewhere in Québec.

In 2004, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carried out a study on cancer risk in nuclear industry workers. Data from Gentilly-2 was combined with data on nearly 600,000 workers in 15 countries. The study showed that in Canada, general mortality and cancer rates are lower and leukemia rates are no higher among nuclear industry workers than among the general population.