Home > Environmental Science > Nuclear Energy

How much radiation is given off by nuclear power plants?

Answer 1

Nuclear power plants give off very little radiation.

You can anticipate receiving 0.01 millirem annually if you reside 50 miles from a nuclear power plant (source).

To put this into perspective, the average American receives 360 millirems of radiation annually, 53 of which are from medical procedures. You will be exposed to 10 millirems of radiation from a dental x-ray. Therefore, the amount of radiation released by nuclear power plants pales in comparison to other naturally occurring sources of radiation.

Visit this link to view a table detailing radiation exposure from various sources and to learn more.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Hannah Amos

Varies, but typically measured in millisieverts. Depends on factors like plant design, fuel type, and safety measures.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.