U.S. counties located closer to operational nuclear power plants have higher rates of cancer mortality

A new study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that U.S. counties closer to operational nuclear power plants (NPPs) have higher rates of cancer mortality. The study, published in Nature Communications, is the first of the 21st century to analyze proximity to NPPs and cancer mortality across all NPPs and every U.S. county. The researchers estimated that over the course of the study period, roughly 115,000 cancer deaths across the U.S. (or about 6,400 deaths per year) were attributable to proximity to NPPs. The association was strongest among older adults. The researchers emphasized that the findings are not enough to establish causality but do highlight the need for further research into nuclear power’s health impacts.