Simulation of a nuclear major accident at the Cattenom NPP

Rank, NPP code, date	mSv
1 CAT_2017-11-15	130.51
2 CAT_2021-12-17	73.41
3 CAT_2020-01-22	69.70
4 CAT_2018-02-17	67.63
5 CAT_2021-02-06	59.67
6 CAT_2021-01-04	53.21
7 CAT_2021-04-24	48.91
8 CAT_2021-09-05	48.31
9 CAT_2017-02-10	46.89
10 CAT_2017-02-09	44.71
11 CAT_2021-11-24	43.08
12 CAT_2020-03-19	40.85
13 CAT_2021-04-27	40.46
14 CAT_2021-09-22	40.05
15 CAT_2020-11-29	37.95
16 CAT_2017-01-18	37.17
17 CAT_2021-10-09	36.37
18 CAT_2021-04-23	32.48
19 CAT_2018-12-14	31.31
20 CAT_2017-03-25	30.87
21 CAT_2021-02-28	30.07
22 CAT_2017-09-23	28.49
23 CAT_2017-01-25	27.22
24 CAT_2021-05-29	27.16
25 CAT_2018-09-25	25.43
26 CAT_2021-04-26	24.57
27 CAT_2021-02-11	24.27
28 CAT_2017-02-18	24.13
29 CAT_2020-06-23	22.47
30 CAT_2021-08-25	22.35
31 CAT_2018-10-19	21.80
32 CAT_2020-10-14	21.57
33 CAT_2020-03-26	20.87
34 CAT_2018-11-19	20.63
35 CAT_2021-09-06	20.41
36 CAT_2017-08-07	19.35
37 CAT_2018-05-05	19.10
38 CAT_2018-05-20	18.86
39 CAT_2018-02-23	18.76
40 CAT_2018-03-18	18.65
41 CAT_2017-07-17	18.63
42 CAT_2017-07-13	18.61
43 CAT_2017-04-20	17.56
44 CAT_2018-09-29	16.35
45 CAT_2021-12-19	16.22
46 CAT_2020-03-21	15.66
47 CAT_2018-10-21	15.53
48 CAT_2021-05-30	14.82
49 CAT_2021-11-09	14.45
50 CAT_2017-01-19	14.37
51 CAT_2017-03-12	14.29
52 CAT_2020-08-10	14.00
53 CAT_2020-11-05	13.67
54 CAT_2018-07-02	13.02
55 CAT_2021-09-02	12.69
56 CAT_2021-10-08	12.45
57 CAT_2018-06-28	12.16
58 CAT_2020-04-01	12.15
59 CAT_2017-03-15	11.88
60 CAT_2021-06-14	11.87
61 CAT_2018-06-27	11.40
62 CAT_2020-06-10	11.27
63 CAT_2018-01-12	11.25
64 CAT_2021-03-08	11.18
65 CAT_2018-03-17	10.67
66 CAT_2020-06-02	10.43
67 CAT_2018-02-06	10.29
68 CAT_2020-01-21	10.16
69 CAT_2018-02-05	10.15
70 CAT_2018-02-19	10.15
71 CAT_2021-11-23	9.97
72 CAT_2017-08-27	9.64
73 CAT_2017-06-18	9.42
74 CAT_2021-03-06	9.40
75 CAT_2021-02-09	9.31
76 CAT_2018-02-26	8.97
77 CAT_2021-09-19	8.77
78 CAT_2021-01-05	8.72
79 CAT_2017-06-13	8.43
80 CAT_2018-04-11	8.23
81 CAT_2018-01-07	8.14
82 CAT_2018-02-22	7.97
83 CAT_2018-05-08	7.76
84 CAT_2018-02-16	7.74
85 CAT_2018-11-02	7.65
86 CAT_2021-01-31	7.46
87 CAT_2017-09-22	7.08
88 CAT_2020-05-06	7.08
89 CAT_2017-02-07	6.92
90 CAT_2018-04-12	6.89
91 CAT_2017-06-19	6.63
92 CAT_2018-06-04	6.24
93 CAT_2018-06-03	6.16
94 CAT_2018-10-29	6.12
95 CAT_2020-04-22	6.12
96 CAT_2021-02-10	6.02
97 CAT_2018-05-21	5.93
98 CAT_2018-07-24	5.75
99 CAT_2017-08-06	5.66
100 CAT_2018-11-26	5.64
101 CAT_2021-02-07	5.54
102 CAT_2020-01-05	5.25
103 CAT_2017-03-10	5.03
104 CAT_2018-10-16	5.02
105 CAT_2018-10-04	4.99
106 CAT_2018-04-29	4.98
107 CAT_2020-05-31	4.98
108 CAT_2021-09-21	4.82
109 CAT_2020-08-04	4.64
110 CAT_2021-02-05	4.47
111 CAT_2017-02-04	4.40
112 CAT_2017-01-21	4.25
113 CAT_2020-01-23	4.25
114 CAT_2021-12-18	4.15
115 CAT_2017-05-06	4.06
116 CAT_2018-10-08	4.04
117 CAT_2021-05-28	3.82
118 CAT_2020-09-20	3.71
119 CAT_2021-07-12	3.51
120 CAT_2020-09-19	3.48
121 CAT_2021-10-05	3.47
122 CAT_2018-02-25	3.41
123 CAT_2021-06-22	3.34
124 CAT_2018-07-25	3.22
125 CAT_2021-09-18	3.15
126 CAT_2020-04-08	3.10
127 CAT_2018-01-06	2.91
128 CAT_2021-09-20	2.78
129 CAT_2021-04-20	2.75
130 CAT_2018-09-15	2.64
131 CAT_2020-04-10	2.64
132 CAT_2018-07-18	2.62
133 CAT_2018-02-24	2.54
134 CAT_2018-04-20	2.54
135 CAT_2018-04-16	2.40
136 CAT_2017-05-04	2.34
137 CAT_2018-06-05	2.28
138 CAT_2020-05-12	2.28
139 CAT_2020-03-31	2.27
140 CAT_2018-03-01	2.18
141 CAT_2018-11-03	2.14
142 CAT_2017-05-02	2.12
143 CAT_2020-10-12	2.11
144 CAT_2018-02-03	2.10
145 CAT_2020-04-20	2.10
146 CAT_2017-02-05	2.08
147 CAT_2021-03-07	1.99
148 CAT_2020-04-09	1.87
149 CAT_2021-12-04	1.86
150 CAT_2021-02-08	1.79
151 CAT_2018-07-15	1.74
152 CAT_2018-05-07	1.73
153 CAT_2021-01-14	1.71
154 CAT_2018-06-09	1.66
155 CAT_2020-11-20	1.62
156 CAT_2018-07-23	1.58
157 CAT_2017-07-09	1.56
158 CAT_2018-09-02	1.51
159 CAT_2020-05-09	1.44
160 CAT_2020-04-21	1.30
161 CAT_2017-02-06	1.27
162 CAT_2021-09-16	1.27
163 CAT_2020-04-17	1.18
164 CAT_2018-01-08	1.15
165 CAT_2020-02-05	1.11
166 CAT_2020-09-17	1.10
167 CAT_2018-08-05	1.05
168 CAT_2021-11-13	1.04
169 CAT_2017-03-11	1.03
170 CAT_2017-05-05	1.03
171 CAT_2021-12-21	1.03
172 CAT_2020-04-03	1.02
173 CAT_2018-06-02	1.00
174 CAT_2018-06-12	1.00
175 CAT_2018-03-24	0.98
176 CAT_2020-04-23	0.98
177 CAT_2018-11-25	0.97
178 CAT_2021-07-24	0.97
179 CAT_2020-06-01	0.95
180 CAT_2020-10-17	0.95
181 CAT_2018-05-06	0.92
182 CAT_2020-06-11	0.91
183 CAT_2017-04-08	0.90
184 CAT_2021-08-24	0.88
185 CAT_2021-09-04	0.87
186 CAT_2020-04-18	0.83
187 CAT_2021-09-13	0.82
188 CAT_2018-05-25	0.72
189 CAT_2020-03-20	0.72
190 CAT_2020-05-07	0.72
191 CAT_2017-05-25	0.71
192 CAT_2021-11-26	0.70
193 CAT_2021-10-06	0.67
194 CAT_2020-08-07	0.64
195 CAT_2018-08-01	0.63
196 CAT_2018-11-24	0.63
197 CAT_2021-09-17	0.61
198 CAT_2020-03-22	0.58
199 CAT_2020-08-08	0.56
200 CAT_2020-07-12	0.51
201 CAT_2020-05-30	0.46
202 CAT_2021-04-21	0.43
203 CAT_2018-03-19	0.42
204 CAT_2018-07-03	0.41
205 CAT_2021-07-23	0.39
206 CAT_2017-05-15	0.38
207 CAT_2017-12-11	0.38
208 CAT_2020-05-29	0.38
209 CAT_2020-09-10	0.37
210 CAT_2020-03-05	0.36
211 CAT_2017-08-09	0.30
212 CAT_2021-08-21	0.28
213 CAT_2018-03-30	0.26
214 CAT_2018-03-16	0.17
215 CAT_2017-01-01	0.00
216 CAT_2017-01-02	0.00
217 CAT_2017-01-03	0.00
218 CAT_2017-01-04	0.00

Rank, NPP code, date

mSv

1 CAT_2017-11-15

130.51

73.41

69.70

67.63

59.67

53.21

48.91

48.31

46.89

44.71

43.08

40.85

40.46

40.05

37.95

37.17

36.37

32.48

31.31

30.87

30.07

28.49

27.22

27.16

25.43

24.57

24.27

24.13

22.47

22.35

21.80

21.57

20.87

20.63

20.41

19.35

19.10

18.86

18.76

18.65

18.63

18.61

17.56

16.35

16.22

15.66

15.53

14.82

14.45

14.37

14.29

14.00

13.67

13.02

12.69

12.45

12.16

12.15

11.88

11.87

11.40

11.27

11.25

11.18

10.67

10.43

10.29

10.16

10.15

10.15

9.97

9.64

9.42

9.40

9.31

8.97

8.77

8.72

8.43

8.23

8.14

7.97

7.76

7.74

7.65

7.46

7.08

7.08

6.92

6.89

6.63

6.24

6.16

6.12

6.12

6.02

5.93

5.75

5.66

5.64

5.54

5.25

5.03

5.02

4.99

4.98

4.98

4.82

4.64

4.47

4.40

4.25

4.25

4.15

4.06

4.04

3.82

3.71

3.51

3.48

3.47

3.41

3.34

3.22

3.15

3.10

2.91

2.78

2.75

2.64

2.64

2.62

2.54

2.54

2.40

2.34

2.28

2.28

2.27

2.18

2.14

2.12

2.11

2.10

2.10

2.08

1.99

1.87

1.86

1.79

1.74

1.73

1.71

1.66

1.62

1.58

1.56

1.51

1.44

1.30

1.27

1.27

1.18

1.15

1.11

1.10

1.05

1.04

1.03

1.03

1.03

1.02

1.00

1.00

0.98

0.98

0.97

0.97

0.95

0.95

0.92

0.91

0.90

0.88

0.87

0.83

0.82

0.72

0.72

0.72

0.71

0.70

0.67

0.64

0.63

0.63

0.61

0.58

0.56

0.51

0.46

0.43

0.42

0.41

0.39

0.38

0.38

0.38

0.37

0.36

0.30

0.28

0.26

0.17

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION ON THE TABLE

1° The radioactivity comes from the passage of the cloud in the hours following an accident;
2° The above individual doses do not include soil irradiation or ingestion of contaminated food after the passage of the cloud;
3° These figures are estimates;
4° SEE COMMENTARY ON LOW AND HIGH DOSES.
5° The calculations are not derived using the map in the illustration, but from another map – of the same format as the one for download on our website to study deposition – which explains some discrepancies between the figure and its illustration.
6° The analysis of the 11 situations producing the maximum fallout allows us to establish the highest risk for a given city, i.e., the consequences of weather situations occurring in 1% of the cases.
7° The above data allow for the identification of the meteorological conditions that would have the worst impact on the area in question, as well as those that would keep radioactivity away. In the event of a major accident at the nuclear power plant concerned, a quick comparison of this analysis with the then prevailing meteorological conditions could be very useful to act as decentralized as possible; local authorities could keep these analyses as ready references to better and more rapidly deploy population protection strategies.

Major accident in one of the four reactors of Cattenom NPP (4 × 3817 MWth)

Possible impact on the inhabitants of :

Melun (277 km) FRA

Potential impact of the cloud (inhalation) on the following areas: Europe (51 countries) France Germany & Austria Luxembourg Belgium & Netherlands Italy Switzerland Spain

ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION ON THE TABLE

Wikimedia map with modifications

Towns in the vicinity of Cattenom

Wikimedia map with modifications

The geographical location of Cattenom

Photo cropped from the work of Stefan Kühn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cattenom, France, pressurized water reactor (PWR), 4 × 3817 megawatts thermal (MWth)