A new Harvard study’s found a link between living near nuclear power plants and higher cancer death rates across the U.S. Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health say around 115,000 cancer deaths over 18 years may be tied to proximity to nuclear facilities.
The study looked at cancer deaths from 2000 to 2018. It covered all U.S. nuclear power plants and the counties near them. It reportedly also included some Canadian plants close to the U.S. border, potentially including border-adjacent facilities. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications on February 23, 2026.
Petros Koutrakis, the study’s senior author, led the research. The team found that counties closer to nuclear plants had higher cancer death rates. That works out to about 6,400 cancer deaths per year linked to plant proximity.
Older adults were hit hardest. Among people aged 65 and up, researchers estimated around 4,266 deaths per year were associated with living near a nuclear facility. The study also found that an estimated 54,349 of the total deaths were among women, making up approximately 1.5% of female cancer deaths during that period.
Researchers used a method that measured distance to multiple plants, not just the nearest one. They pulled plant location data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Cancer death data came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The team adjusted for many factors that could affect cancer rates. Those included income, education, race, smoking, obesity, temperature, humidity, and access to hospitals. Even after those adjustments, the link between plant proximity and cancer deaths remained. The results align with a previous Massachusetts study that showed higher cancer incidence near nuclear facilities.
But the study has limits. Researchers didn’t measure actual radiation levels. They also assumed all nuclear plants had the same effect, which may not be true. The study shows an association, not proof that the plants directly caused the deaths.
Scientists say more research is needed. The findings come at a time when nuclear energy’s being promoted as a clean option for fighting climate change. Some experts argue that any expansion of nuclear power should be subject to independent third-party scrutiny to ensure that health and environmental claims are accurately assessed and validated. Researchers say the health effects of nuclear power deserve a closer look. This makes it the first study this century to compare proximity to all U.S. nuclear facilities with cancer mortality across every county in the country.
References
- https://engx.theiet.org/b/articles/posts/proximity-to-us-nuclear-plants-linked-to-115-000-cancer-deaths-since-2000
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260224015537.htm
- https://dash.harvard.edu/entities/publication/0b967bc4-9946-4571-80bf-a4ca53ee64fc
- https://www.pulmonologyadvisor.com/news/living-in-closer-proximity-to-nuclear-power-plants-may-increase-cancer-mortality-risk/
