Impact of long-term operation of nuclear power plants on the marine ecosystem of Daya Bay

• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115146
• Publication Date: 2023-06-23T04:45:44Z
• Authors: Yue Yu; Peng Zhou; Wu Men
• Keywords: China; Bays; 13. Climate action; Nuclear Power Plants; Humans; 14. Life underwater; 7. Clean energy; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring

Based on the monitoring data of Daya Bay in 2011-2017, the impact of long-term operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) on the marine ecosystem was accessed. 137Cs and 90Sr in seawater and sediment of Daya Bay decreased with time. The environmental half-lives of 137Cs and 90Sr in seawater, 137Cs in sediment were 7.1 a, 11.7 a and 13.9 a, respectively. The total dose rates of the marine organisms ranged from 230.5 to 853.9 nGy/h, lower than the ERICA screening benchmark (10 μGy/h). 210Po, 226Ra and 232Th were the main dose contributors. 137Cs and 90Sr contributed to ~0.01 %-~0.06 % of the total radiation. 137Cs contributed to <0.6 ‰ of the committed effective dose for humans. There were almost no radiation effects on the marine ecosystem of Daya Bay from NPPs before 2017. In the future, there will be no radiation risk for the long-term discharge of low-level radioactive waste to Daya Bay.