Simulation of a nuclear major accident at the Cattenom NPP

Rank, NPP code, date	mSv
1 CAT_2021-12-22	173.40
2 CAT_2020-11-28	117.94
3 CAT_2021-06-27	95.96
4 CAT_2017-01-21	90.90
5 CAT_2018-09-26	77.35
6 CAT_2020-03-24	70.14
7 CAT_2021-09-08	61.09
8 CAT_2018-11-16	60.68
9 CAT_2017-06-27	60.52
10 CAT_2017-09-25	56.84
11 CAT_2018-12-25	52.38
12 CAT_2017-01-06	52.15
13 CAT_2021-09-19	38.75
14 CAT_2017-03-12	34.19
15 CAT_2018-10-09	34.16
16 CAT_2017-05-22	33.57
17 CAT_2017-04-08	32.58
18 CAT_2021-10-23	30.46
19 CAT_2017-08-25	28.87
20 CAT_2021-11-09	26.78
21 CAT_2018-03-24	25.86
22 CAT_2017-09-24	25.68
23 CAT_2017-02-11	24.75
24 CAT_2018-02-19	23.52
25 CAT_2017-05-21	23.00
26 CAT_2020-05-09	22.92
27 CAT_2020-08-10	22.16
28 CAT_2020-04-04	21.80
29 CAT_2017-05-03	21.77
30 CAT_2018-03-03	21.70
31 CAT_2021-06-02	21.70
32 CAT_2018-04-06	21.11
33 CAT_2020-04-08	20.71
34 CAT_2018-08-09	20.68
35 CAT_2017-03-27	19.14
36 CAT_2017-05-10	18.13
37 CAT_2017-08-22	17.90
38 CAT_2020-08-12	17.00
39 CAT_2017-03-23	15.79
40 CAT_2021-10-16	15.78
41 CAT_2021-01-31	15.38
42 CAT_2017-08-28	15.11
43 CAT_2020-01-05	14.97
44 CAT_2018-07-03	14.30
45 CAT_2017-03-10	13.87
46 CAT_2020-07-31	13.48
47 CAT_2018-11-05	13.31
48 CAT_2020-06-12	13.10
49 CAT_2021-09-17	12.64
50 CAT_2018-01-09	12.49
51 CAT_2017-02-05	12.09
52 CAT_2021-09-18	11.64
53 CAT_2017-02-14	11.36
54 CAT_2017-02-12	10.79
55 CAT_2020-09-13	10.56
56 CAT_2017-05-06	9.88
57 CAT_2021-06-15	9.38
58 CAT_2018-02-17	9.25
59 CAT_2020-09-19	8.76
60 CAT_2018-11-02	8.44
61 CAT_2021-09-03	8.41
62 CAT_2021-02-14	8.03
63 CAT_2017-02-07	7.95
64 CAT_2017-05-15	7.88
65 CAT_2018-12-15	7.74
66 CAT_2017-06-21	7.45
67 CAT_2018-01-13	7.43
68 CAT_2018-01-14	7.39
69 CAT_2021-09-04	7.32
70 CAT_2018-04-12	7.21
71 CAT_2018-04-10	7.20
72 CAT_2020-12-06	7.01
73 CAT_2018-10-16	6.93
74 CAT_2018-11-21	6.60
75 CAT_2020-04-10	6.48
76 CAT_2017-01-26	5.75
77 CAT_2018-10-10	5.54
78 CAT_2020-08-09	5.11
79 CAT_2018-05-08	5.10
80 CAT_2021-06-26	5.03
81 CAT_2018-11-23	4.75
82 CAT_2018-05-12	4.63
83 CAT_2017-08-21	4.49
84 CAT_2021-02-07	4.45
85 CAT_2018-07-02	4.41
86 CAT_2017-02-10	4.38
87 CAT_2017-08-27	4.34
88 CAT_2017-04-29	4.15
89 CAT_2020-08-06	4.14
90 CAT_2018-01-10	4.13
91 CAT_2021-09-12	4.02
92 CAT_2017-06-01	4.00
93 CAT_2017-09-23	3.99
94 CAT_2017-08-07	3.89
95 CAT_2020-10-12	3.65
96 CAT_2021-07-12	3.65
97 CAT_2020-05-07	3.63
98 CAT_2017-12-11	3.60
99 CAT_2020-08-08	3.23
100 CAT_2021-09-13	3.22
101 CAT_2018-10-15	3.19
102 CAT_2017-08-06	3.13
103 CAT_2018-05-23	3.13
104 CAT_2021-06-25	3.01
105 CAT_2020-05-08	3.00
106 CAT_2021-11-13	2.95
107 CAT_2018-07-26	2.90
108 CAT_2017-02-04	2.89
109 CAT_2021-02-05	2.83
110 CAT_2018-05-25	2.82
111 CAT_2021-10-05	2.81
112 CAT_2018-05-24	2.79
113 CAT_2017-08-09	2.66
114 CAT_2020-10-02	2.65
115 CAT_2021-07-23	2.63
116 CAT_2021-06-14	2.35
117 CAT_2020-03-05	2.23
118 CAT_2018-04-19	2.20
119 CAT_2018-10-08	2.15
120 CAT_2018-07-24	2.13
121 CAT_2017-02-08	1.99
122 CAT_2020-08-07	1.99
123 CAT_2020-09-18	1.99
124 CAT_2017-07-08	1.92
125 CAT_2018-04-18	1.87
126 CAT_2017-06-20	1.84
127 CAT_2017-10-31	1.70
128 CAT_2018-03-02	1.58
129 CAT_2018-06-05	1.57
130 CAT_2020-11-27	1.57
131 CAT_2021-01-30	1.56
132 CAT_2017-06-19	1.55
133 CAT_2018-04-11	1.45
134 CAT_2021-06-22	1.45
135 CAT_2018-02-16	1.44
136 CAT_2021-04-27	1.42
137 CAT_2021-11-26	1.42
138 CAT_2018-03-01	1.41
139 CAT_2017-05-20	1.39
140 CAT_2017-07-18	1.33
141 CAT_2018-11-15	1.33
142 CAT_2020-04-05	1.31
143 CAT_2020-06-25	1.29
144 CAT_2017-06-13	1.24
145 CAT_2020-04-03	1.21
146 CAT_2020-04-09	1.18
147 CAT_2018-07-25	1.16
148 CAT_2020-04-07	1.16
149 CAT_2020-04-17	1.15
150 CAT_2021-02-04	1.15
151 CAT_2018-05-26	1.13
152 CAT_2017-07-17	1.11
153 CAT_2020-08-04	1.09
154 CAT_2017-02-06	1.07
155 CAT_2017-05-02	1.06
156 CAT_2018-04-20	1.05
157 CAT_2018-08-05	1.03
158 CAT_2018-06-06	1.01
159 CAT_2020-09-14	1.00
160 CAT_2018-09-15	0.99
161 CAT_2017-04-30	0.95
162 CAT_2017-05-05	0.86
163 CAT_2020-05-20	0.86
164 CAT_2017-04-28	0.85
165 CAT_2020-07-29	0.78
166 CAT_2017-03-11	0.75
167 CAT_2020-06-10	0.75
168 CAT_2020-04-22	0.73
169 CAT_2020-08-11	0.73
170 CAT_2020-02-07	0.69
171 CAT_2018-03-16	0.67
172 CAT_2018-06-10	0.62
173 CAT_2021-07-24	0.58
174 CAT_2018-04-29	0.56
175 CAT_2018-11-22	0.56
176 CAT_2017-09-22	0.55
177 CAT_2021-07-22	0.54
178 CAT_2017-11-15	0.50
179 CAT_2021-11-10	0.47
180 CAT_2018-03-14	0.45
181 CAT_2021-10-04	0.45
182 CAT_2018-08-28	0.41
183 CAT_2021-12-25	0.39
184 CAT_2018-11-24	0.35
185 CAT_2017-07-06	0.33
186 CAT_2017-05-27	0.32
187 CAT_2021-06-19	0.31
188 CAT_2018-10-05	0.29
189 CAT_2020-03-25	0.27
190 CAT_2018-03-11	0.26
191 CAT_2018-04-09	0.25
192 CAT_2020-02-05	0.24
193 CAT_2017-07-09	0.22
194 CAT_2017-01-31	0.06
195 CAT_2017-01-01	0.00
196 CAT_2017-01-02	0.00
197 CAT_2017-01-03	0.00
198 CAT_2017-01-04	0.00

Rank, NPP code, date

mSv

1 CAT_2021-12-22

173.40

117.94

95.96

90.90

77.35

70.14

61.09

60.68

60.52

56.84

52.38

52.15

38.75

34.19

34.16

33.57

32.58

30.46

28.87

26.78

25.86

25.68

24.75

23.52

23.00

22.92

22.16

21.80

21.77

21.70

21.70

21.11

20.71

20.68

19.14

18.13

17.90

17.00

15.79

15.78

15.38

15.11

14.97

14.30

13.87

13.48

13.31

13.10

12.64

12.49

12.09

11.64

11.36

10.79

10.56

9.88

9.38

9.25

8.76

8.44

8.41

8.03

7.95

7.88

7.74

7.45

7.43

7.39

7.32

7.21

7.20

7.01

6.93

6.60

6.48

5.75

5.54

5.11

5.10

5.03

4.75

4.63

4.49

4.45

4.41

4.38

4.34

4.15

4.14

4.13

4.02

4.00

3.99

3.89

3.65

3.65

3.63

3.60

3.23

3.22

3.19

3.13

3.13

3.01

3.00

2.95

2.90

2.89

2.83

2.82

2.81

2.79

2.66

2.65

2.63

2.35

2.23

2.20

2.15

2.13

1.99

1.99

1.99

1.92

1.87

1.84

1.70

1.58

1.57

1.57

1.56

1.55

1.45

1.45

1.44

1.42

1.42

1.41

1.39

1.33

1.33

1.31

1.29

1.24

1.21

1.18

1.16

1.16

1.15

1.15

1.13

1.11

1.09

1.07

1.06

1.05

1.03

1.01

1.00

0.99

0.95

0.86

0.86

0.85

0.78

0.75

0.75

0.73

0.73

0.69

0.67

0.62

0.58

0.56

0.56

0.55

0.54

0.50

0.47

0.45

0.45

0.41

0.39

0.35

0.33

0.32

0.31

0.29

0.27

0.26

0.25

0.24

0.22

0.06

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 :

Valenciennes (220 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)