Tritiums health hazards at Pickering why we should

Tritium’s health hazards at Pickering: - why we should be concerned v 2 October 25 2016 Dr Ian Fairlie Consultant on Radiation in the Environment London United Kingdom

Pickering NPP

30 km zone

Globe and Mail: June 12 2007

Annual Tritium Releases at Pickering and Darlington NPPs 1 TBq = 1, 000, 000 Bq = one trillion Bq TBq Pickering Darlington* 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 860 820 740 870 780 290 340 490 510 * includes HTO + HT source: OPG Annual Environmental Reports

Tritium releases from reactor types TBq per GWyr Heavy Water Reactor (CANDU) Pressurised Water Reactor Boiling Water Reactor data source: UNSCEAR (2000) 670 20 2

Release to Air

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

Tritium concentrations in air near Canadian reactors Bq/m 3 from Osborne RV (2002) Tritium in the Canadian Environment: Levels and Health Effects. Report RSP 0153 -1. Prepared for the CNSC.

Estimated tritium intakes near a Canadian nuclear power station after Osborne, 2002; annual intake values from Health Canada (1994) Tritium source Intake per Tritium Bq/year annum concentration Water in local foods Air Inhalation 425 litres ~2, 000 Bq/L 850, 000 8, 400 m 3 10 Bq/m 3 84, 000 Water in drinks 550 litres 100 Bq/L 55, 000 10 Bq/m 3 33, 000 ~700 Bq/kg ~53, 000 Skin absorption OBT in food TOTAL 60% of inhalation 75 kg ~1, 000

Are there ill health effects? n n n 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

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

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

Health Recommendations n n 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

Thanks for listening! Acknowledgments to OCAA and Green Cross (Canada)