TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New research is reviving debate about nuclear power’s potential health risks in Taiwan, where dense populations live near nuclear facilities.
Research conducted by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed nationwide US cancer mortality data and cancer incidence in Massachusetts from 2000 to 2018, finding that communities closer to nuclear power plants experienced slightly higher cancer rates. The risk declines over distance.
Public health expert Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權) of National Taiwan University said the findings are particularly relevant for Taiwan, where high population density near nuclear plants could amplify long-term health impacts. However, he cautioned that the studies do not establish direct cause-and-effect relationships for individuals, according to the Science Media Center Taiwan.
Based on his interpretation of the study results, Chan said the data suggests a gradual relationship between distance and cancer risk.
In US county-level data, cancer mortality among people ages 65 to 74 was about 20% higher in areas roughly equivalent to living 5 to 10 kilometers from a plant. In Massachusetts, residents over 55 living at an equivalent distance of about 2 km saw estimated cancer incidence increases ranging from 50% to 150%, according to Chan.
Schools and hospitals
Chan added that the US analysis showed the most noticeable differences within about 5 to 10 km of plants, particularly among older populations. In Massachusetts, risk differences diminished beyond about 25 km.
Chan said Taiwan’s situation differs significantly from that of the US, as nuclear plants are located near heavily populated areas along the northern and northeastern coasts, close to homes, schools and hospitals. Even modest individual risk increases could translate into a substantial number of additional cancer cases when applied across large populations over long periods, he said.
He added that nuclear-related health impacts tend to be concentrated in nearby communities, unlike coal-fired plants, whose air pollution affects wider regions. Previous US research has linked coal pollution to hundreds of thousands of deaths over two decades.
The studies did not examine childhood cancer due to limited case numbers. However, Chan noted that children are generally more sensitive to radiation exposure.
Elevated risks
He cited earlier international research covering 17 countries and 175 nuclear plants, which found elevated risks of overall cancer, thyroid cancer and leukemia within 30 km of nuclear facilities, particularly among children under 5.
Chan said the studies have limitations, including reliance on regional data rather than individual exposure and failure to account for factors such as wind patterns or plant design differences.
Still, Chan said the consistent pattern of slightly elevated cancer risk near nuclear plants warrants attention. He urged policymakers to evaluate nuclear energy alongside other sources, including coal, natural gas and renewables, within a unified framework that considers both environmental benefits and health risks.
A referendum last year on restarting operations at the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant failed to meet the required thresholds, though votes in favor outnumbered those against by three to one. President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has pledged to review the “nuclear-free” policy, and safety inspections have since been conducted to assess the feasibility of a potential restart.