Ziel
The possible existence of an increase in leukaemia mortality around French nuclear sites was tested in the population aged 0-24 using 2 comparisons. First, the observed mortality was compared to mortality expected from national rates and second, to control for systematic differences between death certification procedures in rural, sparsely populated areas and in the country as a whole, the mortality around nuclear sites was compared with the mortality in control communes, matched for total population and large geographical unit. The study showed no excess leukaemia mortality near French nuclear sites.