such indirect emissions however are a function of the structure of the existing electricity system not of the individual technology being produced the only local airpolluting emissions from the generation stage of the nuclear fuel cycle are minor operational radionuclide emissions the contributions to background radiation from these operation emissions are numerically minute and thus the radiological risks that such emissions might cause possibly fatal and nonfatal cancers genetic effects etc this is compounded by the emission of large amounts of pm s nox and toxic metals common throughout all carbonbased sources with significant damages to public health and ecosystems when compared to any carbonbased source airpolluting emissions from nuclear power generation are numerically extremely small