"Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material."
Radioactive byproducts of nuclear reactions that must be managed and disposed of safely.
Radioactivity and Radiation: The science behind nuclear decay and the different types of radiation.
Nuclear Fission: The process of splitting uranium atoms to release energy in a nuclear reactor.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle: The stages involved in producing nuclear fuel from mining to waste disposal.
Nuclear Reactor types: The various types of nuclear reactors like Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), Boiling water reactors(BWR), etc.
Nuclear Waste Management: The various strategies used for managing nuclear waste, including reprocessing, deep geological disposal, and storage.
Nuclear Regulatory Environment: The regulations involved in nuclear energy, its storage, and its transportation.
Risks & Safety considerations: Safety measures for working closely with nuclear waste and the risks involved.
Health Impacts: The potential health impacts of exposure to ionizing radiation.
Decommissioning: The process of closing down and dismantling a nuclear reactor or facility.
Potential for Nuclear Accidents: Risk of accidents and the possibility of leaks or spills.
Nuclear Energy Politics: The public perception and policies regarding nuclear energy.
Radiation Detection and Measurement: The equipment and procedures involved in detecting and measuring radiation.
Nuclear Waste Transportation: The logistics of safely transporting nuclear waste from one location to another.
Radiation Shielding: The materials and techniques used to protect people from radiation exposure.
Public Education-Awareness programs and educational materials for the public regarding nuclear energy and waste management.: Public Education-Awareness programs and educational materials aim to inform and engage the public about nuclear energy and waste management in order to increase understanding, dispel myths, and promote responsible decision-making.
Waste Disposal Site Selection: Choosing and evaluating suitable locations for nuclear waste disposal sites.
Waste incineration: Incinerating waste so that it is less bulky and more thermally stable.
Environmental impact assessment: A regulatory process for evaluating the potential environmental impact of new nuclear facilities and waste disposal sites.
Waste Characterization: Identification and characterization of waste to determine its constituents, physical, and chemical properties.
Waste Packaging & Storage: Techniques for the packaging, storage, and transport of nuclear waste.
High-level Radioactive Waste: This includes spent nuclear fuel rods and remnants of the nuclear reactor process that are highly radioactive and require close monitoring and storage in a manner that lessens their potential environmental impact.
Low-level Radioactive Waste: This includes any contaminated clothing, tools, materials or equipment that has come in contact with radioactive substances, as well as any contaminated water, gaseous or solids-type waste.
Transuranic Wastes: These are products that contain elements heavier than uranium with atomic numbers that exceed uranium (element #92). Transuranic waste is usually a byproduct of nuclear research, processing, or contamination.
Radioactive Fission Products: This includes a variety of radioactive isotopes that are generated when the uranium or plutonium inside the reactor core undergoes nuclear fission. These isotopes are highly radioactive and have varying degrees of stability.
Depleted Uranium: This is the leftover waste product from the process of enriching uranium for nuclear reactor fuel. Depleted uranium can be used for military purposes, but it can also present risk to those exposed to it.
Plutonium Waste: Plutonium is one of the most hazardous substances used in nuclear energy, and significant care must be taken in handling, storing and disposing of it.
Strontium-90: This is a radioactive isotope that is produced as a byproduct of nuclear fission, and is also commonly present in the fallout from nuclear bomb testing. It poses a significant risk to human health if it enters the body.
Tritium: This is an isotope of hydrogen that is used in nuclear reactors to help control the process of nuclear fission. When released into the environment, it can pose a danger to human health.
"Radioactive waste is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, nuclear decommissioning, rare-earth mining, and nuclear weapons reprocessing."
"Radioactive waste is broadly classified into low-level waste (LLW), intermediate-level waste (ILW), and high-level waste (HLW)."
"Low-level waste includes items such as paper, rags, tools, and clothing, which contain small amounts of mostly short-lived radioactivity."
"Intermediate-level waste contains higher amounts of radioactivity and requires some shielding, while high-level waste is highly radioactive and hot due to decay heat, so requires cooling and shielding."
"In nuclear reprocessing plants, about 96% of spent nuclear fuel is recycled back into uranium-based and mixed-oxide (MOX) fuels."
"The residual 4% is minor actinides and fission products. The waste is subsequently converted into a glass-like ceramic for storage in a deep geological repository."
"The minor actinides are heavy elements other than uranium and plutonium which are created by neutron capture. Their half lives range from years to millions of years, and as alpha emitters, they are particularly radiotoxic."
"Short-term approaches to radioactive waste storage have been segregation and storage on the surface or near-surface. Burial in a deep geological repository is a favored solution for long-term storage of high-level waste."
"The time radioactive waste must be stored for depends on the type of waste and radioactive isotopes it contains."
"Re-use and transmutation are favored solutions for reducing the HLW inventory."
"Boundaries to recycling of spent nuclear fuel are regulatory and economic, as well as the issue of radioactive contamination if chemical separation processes cannot achieve a very high purity."
"The storage and disposal of radioactive waste is regulated by government agencies."
"The regulation aims to protect human health and the environment."
"A joint convention of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) periodically presents and reviews a summary of the amounts of radioactive waste and management approaches for most developed countries."
"Burial in a deep geological repository is a favored solution for long-term storage of high-level waste."
"Low-level waste items, such as paper, rags, tools, and clothing, contain small amounts of mostly short-lived radioactivity and can be stored on the surface or near-surface."
"The residual 4% of spent nuclear fuel, along with the minor actinides and fission products, are converted into a glass-like ceramic for storage in a deep geological repository."
"Elements may be present in both useful and troublesome isotopes, which would require costly and energy-intensive isotope separation for their use."
"Rare-earth mining contributes to the generation of radioactive waste."