Analysis of typical atmospheric emissions from light-water NPPs for regulatory purposes

Regulating radioactive atmospheric emissions from nuclear power plants (NPPs) requires focusing on key dose-contributing radionuclides. A universal, typical radionuclide vector would simplify monitoring but its feasibility remains unproven. The hypothesis of similar normalized emissions (GBq/GW) was tested. Data from a reference PWR (OECD-NEA) and from the Cattenom (PWR, France), Bohunice (VVER, Slovakia), and Kalininskaya (VVER, Russia) NPPs were compared. Annual emissions were normalized to the electricity generated. The dose impact per 1 GW of generated power was calculated for the critical population group. For European NPPs, normalized emissions of primary dose-contributing radionuclides (C-14, H-3) are consistent with literature data, contributing over 92% of the total dose. However, significant deviations were found for Kalininskaya NPP, indicating a plant-specific emission profile. While a single universal radionuclide vector is not viable, the similarity in normalized emissions for PWRs and VVERs in Europe supports using regional typical data for regulatory purposes. The findings highlight the need for facility-specific considerations in emission control strategies.