The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) today presented an epidemiological study on child cancer in the vicinity of German nuclear power plants. Minister Gabriel has made the following statement:
"In this study by the German Childhood Cancer Registry (Deutsches Kinderkrebsregister) in Mainz, increased cancer incidences were ascertained statistically for children living in the vicinity of the 16 sites of German nuclear power plants.
According to current scientific knowledge, the observed increase in cancer cannot be explained by radiation exposure from a nuclear power plant. The radiation exposure of the population resulting from the operation of nuclear power plants in Germany would have to be at least 1000 times higher in order to explain the observed increase in the risk of cancer. The statistical study and known causal connections between the risk of cancer and radiation are thus not compatible.
I have therefore asked the Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK) to carry out a detailed analysis of the study’s results, its concept, the data collected and the question of a possible causal connection. Once the findings of this analysis are available the Federal Environment Ministry will decide how to proceed."
The key scientific findings of the study are as follows: cancer incidences in children under 5 years of age increase with proximity to reactor sites. Within a 5-kilometre radius of the reactors, 77 cases of child cancer, 37 of which leukaemia, were registered for the survey period 1980 to 2003. On a statistical average, 48 cases of cancer with 17 cases of leukaemia would be expected. Therefore, according to the study an additional 1.2 incidences of cancer and 0.8 incidences of leukaemia occur per year in the close vicinity of all 16 nuclear power plant sites surveyed. The study deals exclusively with the statistical connection between cancer incidences and the distance of the place of living from the nuclear power plant site. The study contains no statements on the causes of the increased cancer rates.
Further Information:
- www.bfs.de: Epidemiological study on child cancer in the vicinity of German nuclear power plants (in German only)