Abstract |
The long-term equilibrium levels of tritium, krypton-85, and carbon-14 which are acceptable in the environment have been estimated on the following premises: (1) the three isotopes reach the environment and equilibrate throughout it in periods shorter than their half lives, (2) nuclear detonations and nuclear power constitute the dominant sources of these isotopes, (3) the radiation doses from these three isotopes add to one another and to the doses from other radioactive isotopes released to the environment, and (4) the United States, by virtue of its population, is entitled to 6% of the world's capacity to accept radioactive wastes. These premises lead to the conclusion that U.S. nuclear detonations are limited by carbon-14 to 70 megatons per year. The corresponding limit for U.S. nuclear power appears to be set by krypton-85 at 150,000 electrical megawatts, although data for carbon-14 production by nuclear power reactors are not available. (Author) |