Simulation of a nuclear major accident at the Cattenom NPP

Rank, NPP code, date	mSv
1 CAT_2020-01-23	76.05
2 CAT_2020-11-29	72.86
3 CAT_2017-01-25	71.95
4 CAT_2021-11-09	66.59
5 CAT_2021-12-18	59.23
6 CAT_2021-11-24	51.55
7 CAT_2017-01-19	48.21
8 CAT_2018-02-17	42.43
9 CAT_2021-09-05	35.67
10 CAT_2021-02-28	34.68
11 CAT_2021-09-22	34.06
12 CAT_2021-02-06	28.41
13 CAT_2017-06-18	26.98
14 CAT_2020-01-21	26.98
15 CAT_2021-03-06	26.13
16 CAT_2021-12-17	26.08
17 CAT_2018-03-19	25.82
18 CAT_2021-09-02	25.54
19 CAT_2018-07-02	24.71
20 CAT_2020-08-10	24.22
21 CAT_2021-02-11	23.94
22 CAT_2018-12-14	22.82
23 CAT_2018-05-07	22.03
24 CAT_2021-04-27	21.66
25 CAT_2020-04-22	21.62
26 CAT_2020-05-07	21.42
27 CAT_2020-04-20	17.66
28 CAT_2017-09-23	17.29
29 CAT_2021-05-30	16.38
30 CAT_2020-04-10	16.30
31 CAT_2020-04-21	15.99
32 CAT_2018-02-24	15.67
33 CAT_2018-02-25	15.59
34 CAT_2020-05-30	15.56
35 CAT_2017-07-13	15.38
36 CAT_2020-10-14	15.30
37 CAT_2021-12-21	15.02
38 CAT_2018-05-21	14.51
39 CAT_2018-07-25	14.16
40 CAT_2020-02-06	13.78
41 CAT_2021-02-09	13.51
42 CAT_2018-03-18	13.43
43 CAT_2018-10-08	13.26
44 CAT_2018-06-27	13.20
45 CAT_2020-05-31	12.69
46 CAT_2021-10-09	12.32
47 CAT_2018-10-04	12.14
48 CAT_2018-01-08	11.99
49 CAT_2017-07-17	11.54
50 CAT_2020-05-06	11.42
51 CAT_2021-09-06	11.03
52 CAT_2017-02-10	10.94
53 CAT_2017-08-27	10.72
54 CAT_2020-03-19	10.72
55 CAT_2017-05-03	10.31
56 CAT_2021-02-07	10.23
57 CAT_2018-05-20	9.70
58 CAT_2018-06-28	9.62
59 CAT_2018-02-19	9.25
60 CAT_2018-12-12	9.22
61 CAT_2020-06-23	9.20
62 CAT_2020-08-08	9.11
63 CAT_2018-05-06	8.97
64 CAT_2018-04-11	8.80
65 CAT_2017-03-15	8.76
66 CAT_2018-11-21	8.57
67 CAT_2021-07-12	8.25
68 CAT_2020-06-01	7.97
69 CAT_2018-11-20	7.44
70 CAT_2018-09-15	7.25
71 CAT_2021-09-19	7.20
72 CAT_2018-11-02	7.00
73 CAT_2021-05-29	6.98
74 CAT_2018-11-25	6.75
75 CAT_2018-02-16	6.67
76 CAT_2017-03-25	6.63
77 CAT_2021-05-31	6.60
78 CAT_2018-01-12	6.27
79 CAT_2020-04-08	6.23
80 CAT_2020-05-08	6.22
81 CAT_2018-07-24	5.99
82 CAT_2020-01-05	5.90
83 CAT_2017-03-10	5.82
84 CAT_2018-02-23	5.82
85 CAT_2021-01-31	5.70
86 CAT_2020-05-05	5.66
87 CAT_2017-07-09	5.56
88 CAT_2017-06-19	5.46
89 CAT_2018-04-29	5.25
90 CAT_2018-09-29	5.25
91 CAT_2017-04-08	5.16
92 CAT_2020-06-02	5.16
93 CAT_2018-06-30	5.13
94 CAT_2017-02-07	5.03
95 CAT_2018-06-04	4.87
96 CAT_2020-05-29	4.83
97 CAT_2017-02-09	4.80
98 CAT_2018-05-08	4.78
99 CAT_2021-02-05	4.73
100 CAT_2018-10-16	4.66
101 CAT_2021-06-14	4.61
102 CAT_2017-08-07	4.19
103 CAT_2018-06-10	4.14
104 CAT_2021-04-20	4.09
105 CAT_2020-08-04	4.05
106 CAT_2018-08-05	3.99
107 CAT_2018-02-05	3.95
108 CAT_2017-02-04	3.75
109 CAT_2018-02-06	3.74
110 CAT_2017-06-13	3.67
111 CAT_2017-09-22	3.63
112 CAT_2018-04-10	3.40
113 CAT_2021-12-04	3.36
114 CAT_2017-04-20	3.16
115 CAT_2020-03-22	3.16
116 CAT_2018-06-11	3.12
117 CAT_2020-07-30	3.10
118 CAT_2017-03-12	2.95
119 CAT_2017-05-06	2.95
120 CAT_2020-06-10	2.93
121 CAT_2018-05-23	2.90
122 CAT_2020-09-19	2.81
123 CAT_2021-02-12	2.81
124 CAT_2018-04-16	2.78
125 CAT_2021-01-05	2.67
126 CAT_2018-03-24	2.64
127 CAT_2017-11-15	2.62
128 CAT_2021-09-18	2.37
129 CAT_2021-07-24	2.20
130 CAT_2021-11-13	2.16
131 CAT_2018-07-18	2.09
132 CAT_2020-10-12	2.05
133 CAT_2021-06-22	1.97
134 CAT_2017-01-18	1.96
135 CAT_2018-04-12	1.93
136 CAT_2021-09-16	1.90
137 CAT_2020-04-17	1.88
138 CAT_2020-04-18	1.86
139 CAT_2021-09-04	1.86
140 CAT_2017-05-02	1.83
141 CAT_2020-01-22	1.78
142 CAT_2018-11-19	1.77
143 CAT_2017-12-11	1.69
144 CAT_2021-01-14	1.57
145 CAT_2018-01-07	1.52
146 CAT_2020-04-03	1.47
147 CAT_2020-04-23	1.40
148 CAT_2018-06-06	1.38
149 CAT_2020-02-05	1.29
150 CAT_2018-06-09	1.26
151 CAT_2017-03-24	1.17
152 CAT_2018-04-20	1.16
153 CAT_2021-07-23	1.16
154 CAT_2021-04-23	1.14
155 CAT_2017-02-05	1.13
156 CAT_2018-11-18	1.13
157 CAT_2018-03-17	1.09
158 CAT_2018-07-23	1.03
159 CAT_2021-02-08	1.03
160 CAT_2021-08-25	1.00
161 CAT_2018-07-01	0.99
162 CAT_2020-05-20	0.97
163 CAT_2020-05-09	0.96
164 CAT_2020-04-09	0.95
165 CAT_2018-01-06	0.81
166 CAT_2018-03-16	0.76
167 CAT_2021-04-24	0.73
168 CAT_2021-09-13	0.69
169 CAT_2018-03-01	0.68
170 CAT_2018-03-30	0.61
171 CAT_2018-06-02	0.58
172 CAT_2017-05-15	0.57
173 CAT_2018-02-03	0.53
174 CAT_2021-10-06	0.50
175 CAT_2021-09-20	0.44
176 CAT_2021-07-21	0.43
177 CAT_2021-09-17	0.41
178 CAT_2017-08-06	0.39
179 CAT_2017-01-21	0.34
180 CAT_2020-09-18	0.32
181 CAT_2020-04-15	0.31
182 CAT_2018-11-24	0.28
183 CAT_2018-10-29	0.26
184 CAT_2021-04-26	0.26
185 CAT_2018-06-05	0.25
186 CAT_2018-02-28	0.21
187 CAT_2017-05-04	0.20
188 CAT_2021-11-26	0.18
189 CAT_2021-08-21	0.17
190 CAT_2020-03-21	0.12
191 CAT_2020-03-05	0.11
192 CAT_2020-10-17	0.07
193 CAT_2017-01-01	0.00
194 CAT_2017-01-02	0.00
195 CAT_2017-01-03	0.00
196 CAT_2017-01-04	0.00

Rank, NPP code, date

mSv

1 CAT_2020-01-23

76.05

72.86

71.95

66.59

59.23

51.55

48.21

42.43

35.67

34.68

34.06

28.41

26.98

26.98

26.13

26.08

25.82

25.54

24.71

24.22

23.94

22.82

22.03

21.66

21.62

21.42

17.66

17.29

16.38

16.30

15.99

15.67

15.59

15.56

15.38

15.30

15.02

14.51

14.16

13.78

13.51

13.43

13.26

13.20

12.69

12.32

12.14

11.99

11.54

11.42

11.03

10.94

10.72

10.72

10.31

10.23

9.70

9.62

9.25

9.22

9.20

9.11

8.97

8.80

8.76

8.57

8.25

7.97

7.44

7.25

7.20

7.00

6.98

6.75

6.67

6.63

6.60

6.27

6.23

6.22

5.99

5.90

5.82

5.82

5.70

5.66

5.56

5.46

5.25

5.25

5.16

5.16

5.13

5.03

4.87

4.83

4.80

4.78

4.73

4.66

4.61

4.19

4.14

4.09

4.05

3.99

3.95

3.75

3.74

3.67

3.63

3.40

3.36

3.16

3.16

3.12

3.10

2.95

2.95

2.93

2.90

2.81

2.81

2.78

2.67

2.64

2.62

2.37

2.20

2.16

2.09

2.05

1.97

1.96

1.93

1.90

1.88

1.86

1.86

1.83

1.78

1.77

1.69

1.57

1.52

1.47

1.40

1.38

1.29

1.26

1.17

1.16

1.16

1.14

1.13

1.13

1.09

1.03

1.03

1.00

0.99

0.97

0.96

0.95

0.81

0.76

0.73

0.69

0.68

0.61

0.58

0.57

0.53

0.50

0.44

0.43

0.41

0.39

0.34

0.32

0.31

0.28

0.26

0.26

0.25

0.21

0.20

0.18

0.17

0.12

0.11

0.07

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 :

Paris (289 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)