Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Surprisingly, nuclear power can also reduce public exposure to radiation when used as an alternative to coal. Coal-fired power stations emit significant radioactivity — mainly uranium and thorium — in the form of fly ash. Studies in the 1980s indicated doses of about 25—100 microSv per year to persons living at 1 km from a coal station as a result of airborne particulates. A nuclear power station operating within its discharge limits contributes a far smaller dose to the surrounding population.