Radioactive Waste - Management of Waste

Management of Waste

See also: High-level radioactive waste management, List of nuclear waste treatment technologies, and Environmental effects of nuclear power

Of particular concern in nuclear waste management are two long-lived fission products, Tc-99 (half-life 220,000 years) and I-129 (half-life 17 million years), which dominate spent fuel radioactivity after a few thousand years. The most troublesome transuranic elements in spent fuel are Np-237 (half-life two million years) and Pu-239 (half-life 24,000 years). Nuclear waste requires sophisticated treatment and management to successfully isolate it from interacting with the biosphere. This usually necessitates treatment, followed by a long-term management strategy involving storage, disposal or transformation of the waste into a non-toxic form. Governments around the world are considering a range of waste management and disposal options, though there has been limited progress toward long-term waste management solutions.

In second half of 20th century, several methods of disposal of radioactive waste were investigated by nuclear nations. Which are;

  • "Long term above ground storage", not implemented.
  • "Disposal in outer space", not implemented.
  • "Deep borehole disposal", not implemented.
  • "Rock-melting", not implemented.
  • "Disposal at subduction zones", not implemented.
  • "Ocean disposal", done by USSR, UK, Switzerland, USA, Belgium, France, Netherland, Japan, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Italy and South Korea. (1954–93) It's not permitted by international agreements.
  • "Sub seabed disposal", not implemented, not permitted by international agreements.
  • "Disposal in ice sheets", rejected in Antarctic Treaty
  • "Direct injection", done by USSR and USA.

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