In the primary systems of nuclear power plants (NPPs), various radionuclides including fission products and corrosion products are generated due to the complex water chemistry conditions. In particular, (3)H, (14)C, (58)Co, (60)Co, (137)Cs, and (131)I are important or potential radionuclides with respect to dose assessment for workers and the management of radioactive effluents or dose assessment for the public. In this paper, the dominant contributors to the dose for workers and the public were reviewed and the process of dose assessment attributable to those contributors was investigated. Furthermore, an analysis was carried out on some examples of dose to workers during NPP operation.