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Massive US Study Finds Higher Cancer Death Rates Near Nuclear Power Plants
The study analyzed cancer deaths near US nuclear plants but found no evidence of causation, noting confounding factors like socioeconomic status may explain the association.
- On February 23, 2026, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published a nationwide analysis in Nature Communications linking proximity to nuclear power plants with an estimated 115,000 cancer deaths in U.S. counties.
- Using national county-level data from 2000 through 2018, the researchers applied a "continuous proximity" method measuring U.S. counties within 200 km of nuclear plants, addressing limits of previous single-plant studies.
- Using U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention county-level mortality data, the researchers adjusted for education, income, race, temperature, humidity, smoking, BMI, and hospital distance, yet cancer mortality remained higher near nuclear plants, especially among older adults.
- The findings have prompted calls for further investigation and the study authors say the results underscore the need for deeper research, while the media and public expect substantial scrutiny.
- Radiation scientists and epidemiologists caution that the ecological study design uses county-average exposures and lacks radiation dose measurement, risking confounding by individual-level factors like smoking and urbanisation over tens of kilometres.
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11 Articles
Massive US study finds higher cancer death rates near nuclear power plants
A sweeping nationwide study has found that U.S. counties located closer to operating nuclear power plants have higher cancer death rates than those farther away. Researchers analyzed data from every nuclear facility and all U.S. counties between 2000 and 2018, adjusting for income, education, smoking, obesity, environmental conditions, and access to health care. Even after accounting for those factors, cancer mortality was higher in communities …
Living Near Nuclear Power Plants Linked to Higher Cancer Mortality Nationwide
The closer a county is to a nuclear power plant, the higher its cancer death rate appears to be—raising new questions about nuclear energy’s hidden health costs. Counties located closer to operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) show higher cancer death rates than those farther away, even after researchers adjusted for income, education, environmental conditions, smoking, [...]
Does living near a nuclear power plant shorten your lifespan? A new Harvard study, the first of its kind in the 21st century, suggests there might be something to it. Independent scientists, however, are cautious: a statistical correlation is evident, but the study doesn't prove causality.
Proximity to Nuclear Power Plants Linked to Higher Cancer Mortality Rates in New Study
A comprehensive nationwide study conducted by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has revealed concerning findings regarding cancer mortality rates in proximity to nuclear power plants. Published on February 23, 2026, in the journal Nature Communications, the study analyzed data from 2000 to 2018, uncovering a correlation between higher cancer death rates and counties situated closer to nuclear facilities. Study Overview and…
A report by Harvard Chan School of Public Health from the United States, and published by the magazine Nature Communications showed that those who live near an active reactor have a greater risk of...
Harvard study finds people who live near nuclear plants more likely to die of cancer
(Photo by Rob via Pexels) By Stephen Beech People who live near nuclear power plants are more likely to die of cancer, according to a new study. Researchers found that counties located closer to operational nuclear power plants have higher rates of cancer mortality than those located further away. The findings remain the same even after accounting for socio-economic, environmental, and health care factors. The study, published in the journal Nat…
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