Children Living Near Nuclear Power Plants have no Additional Risk of Cancers, Study Finds

Children living near nuclear power plants do not have an additional risk of developing childhood cancers, according to a latest research on 10,000 British children.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Childhood Cancer Research Group in Oxford. The team found that the incidence of cancers like childhood leukaemia or non-Hodgkin Lymphoma had no link with the proximity to the nearest nuclear power plant.

For the study, researchers used data of over 10,000 children in Britain who were diagnosed with Leukemia or other childhood cancers between 1962 and 2007. They then calculated the distance from these children's homes to the nearest nuclear power plant, both at birth and at the time of cancer diagnosis. Study results showed that children living near these power plants had no increased risks of any childhood cancer.

The belief that staying near a nuclear power plant raises cancer risk, especially in children, isn't new. There have been several studies on the issue with some claiming slight chances of children developing cancer. On the other hand, several researches have found no additional risk.

Hazel Nunn, Cancer Research UK's head of health information called the latest study results "heartening". "But these results can't rule out any possible risk, so it's still important that we continue to monitor both radiation levels near nuclear power plants and rates of cancer among people who live close by," Nunn added.

Cancer risk for people living near nuclear power plants increase when there is rise in levels of ionizing radiation. Everyone on earth is naturally exposed to ionizing radiation, mostly from radioactive materials and cosmic rays. At high doses, these radiations can cause immediate damage to the body that can lead to sickness and even death.

 Lower doses can cause cancer, usually many years later. The risk of cancer from exposure to radiation from nuclear power plants depends on the extent of radiation, type of radiation and the parts of body that were exposed to the radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute.

The study is published in the British Journal of Cancer.