A team of MIT researchers published a study in the peer-reviewed science journal Nature Energy exploring the potentially dangerous consequences of shutting down nuclear power plants in the United States, focusing on the impact on air pollution and public health.
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Air Pollution and Health Effects
The team's findings indicate that air pollution would increase if all nuclear power plants were to close, as coal, gas, and oil sources ramp up production to compensate for the loss of nuclear power. The increase in air pollution would result in an additional 5,200 pollution-related premature deaths over a single year.
Influence of Renewable Energy Sources
If more renewable energy sources become available to supply the energy grid, as expected by 2030, air pollution would be reduced, though not entirely eliminated. The team found that even with an increased renewable energy scenario, there would still be a slight increase in air pollution in some parts of the country, resulting in a total of 260 pollution-related premature deaths over one year.
The researchers also examined the populations directly affected by the increased pollution and found that Black or African American communities, a disproportionate number of whom live near fossil-fuel plants, experienced the greatest exposure.
The study
The MIT team used an energy grid dispatch model to assess how the U.S. energy system would respond to a shutdown of nuclear power. They ran the model under different scenarios, including an energy grid with no nuclear power, a baseline grid similar to today's that includes nuclear power, and a grid with no nuclear power that also incorporates additional renewable sources expected by 2030.
Results
The analysis revealed that without nuclear power, air pollution worsened in general, primarily affecting regions on the East Coast. They also calculated that the increase in carbon dioxide emissions from compensating for the absence of nuclear power would lead to 160,000 additional premature deaths over the next century due to climate-related effects.
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Need for Careful Consideration and Renewable Energy Deployment
The study's findings emphasize the need for careful consideration when retiring nuclear power plants and the importance of deploying more renewable energy sources to fill the gap left by nuclear power, which is essentially a zero-emissions energy source. Otherwise, air quality may decrease more than expected, with significant consequences for public health.
If you are interested in the underlying paper, be sure to check the article published in the peer-reviewed science journal Nature Energy listed below.
Sources and further reading:
Nuclear Power Generation Phaseouts Redistribute U.S. Air Quality and Climate Related Mortality Risk - (Nature Energy)
Artificial intelligence helps make nuclear reactors safer - (Universal-Sci)
Four things you didn't know about nuclear waste (Universal-Sci)
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