P.M. BRIEFING : Exposure to Radiation Cited

There were 105,265 cases of worker exposure to radiation at U.S. nuclear power plants in 1988, the highest number of incidents ever in one year, an anti-nuclear group reported today.

Public Citizen, a group created by consumer activist Ralph Nader, said its review of federal documents showed that workers at the nation’s 107 commercial nuclear plants were exposed to 41,077 person-rems of radiation, a dose the group estimated as equivalent to 2 million chest X-rays.

The group said the average worker received a dose of about 390 millirems, roughly equal to 20 chest X-rays. More than 12,000 received a dose equivalent to 50 chest X-rays.