The radiation exposure in the environment of nuclear facilities is determined for the reference person defined in the Radiation Protection Ordinance based on the results of emission control in accordance with the process stipulated in the “General administrative regulation for the determination of radiation exposure by disposal of radioactive substances from nuclear plants or facilities”. The calculation of radiation exposure of the population in 2010 in the vicinity of nuclear power plants by the emission of radioactive substances with exhaust air resulted in an effective dose for adults of 0.004 mSv as the highest value for the Nuclear Power Plant Philippsburg; this is 1.5 % of the limit value of the Radiation Protection Ordinance. The highest value of the thyroid gland dose for infants was calculated at 0.007 mSv (less than 1 % of the corresponding dose limit value) for the Nuclear Power Plant Philippsburg.

The highest value of the effective dose for adults from emissions of radioactive substances with the waste water from nuclear power plants amounted to 0.001 mSv (0.3 % of the dose limit value) at the location of the Nuclear Power Plant Emsland.

The radiation exposure at the lower reaches of the rivers has been closer examined with consideration of all emitters. For the mouth of the Neckar, an effective dose of about 0.0008 mSv for adults and of 0.0013 mSv for infants was established; at the lower reaches of Main and Weser 0.0003 mSv for adults and 0.0005 mSv for infants were calculated. On the Rhine and the Danube, the effective doses for adults were around 0.0001 to 0.0004 mSv.


Radiation exposure for adults at the most unfavourable point in the vicinity of nuclear power plants by emission of radioactive substances with the exhaust air (left) and waste water (right), 2010