It’s Da Plumes!

Both cancer clusters on Lake Norman are predominantly downwind of the two large powerplants on the lake. Marshall Steam Station to the North will generate a large water vapor plume(lt. blue circles) as well as a coal fly ash particulate plume(dark circle) predominantly to the South and East. The yellow background are the two zip codes with elevated thyroid cancer rates.  McGuire Nuclear will generate a water vapor plume predominantly to the South and East.  I-77 will also generate lots of particulate pollution, which will get charged up passing through nearby high voltage lines.  The increased dew point in the area of the plumes along with particulate pollution will trigger increased ionizing radiation (electron and UV/photon) due to increased corona flashover discharge from the contaminated high voltage transmission lines and insulators running through the public areas.  The increased cancers are most likely due to the exposure over time to the increased ionizing radiation as well as breathing charged particulate created by passing through the strong ionizing electric fields of the high voltage transmission systems and causing increased oxidative stress on biology.  Blue circles/heat map are from the Huntersville Ocular Melanoma Geospatial Study referenced below.

1. https://www.the-dispatch.com/article/NC/20091225/News/605125425/LD
2. https://pserc.wisc.edu/documents/publications/reports/2001_reports/T-4_Final-Report_May-2001.pdf
3. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8727300
4. https://youtu.be/NsSXjFMHIuU
5. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=fce26673bdce48b0857c2fa5376720f0
6. https://www.co.iredell.nc.us/1255/Thyroid-Cancer-Information
7. https://specialties.bayt.com/en/specialties/q/63851/what-steps-you-recommend-to-prevent-flash-over-on-high-voltage-and-extra-high-voltage-transmission-lines-in-highly-salt-charged-coastal-areas/  (This is most likely why thyroid cancers have also increased along coastal NC – due to the conductive, damp salt air and the high voltage lines running close to homes and roadways.)

Air Pollution + Elevated Dew Point + High Voltage Transmission Lines/Equipment   —-> Increased Ionizing/Oxidizing Radiation Emissions + Increased Cancers