What is produced by radioactive waste?
High-level waste. High-level waste (HLW) is produced by nuclear reactors and the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. The radioactive waste from spent fuel rods consists primarily of cesium-137 and strontium-90, but it may also include plutonium, which can be considered transuranic waste.
How is radioactive waste harmful to humans?
Exposure to large amounts of radioactivity can cause nausea, vomiting, hair loss, diarrhea, hemorrhage, destruction of the intestinal lining, central nervous system damage, and death. It also causes DNA damage and raises the risk of cancer, particularly in young children and fetuses.
What deals with radioactive waste?
Disposal of low-level waste is straightforward and can be undertaken safely almost anywhere. Storage of used fuel is normally under water for at least five years and then often in dry storage. Deep geological disposal is widely agreed to be the best solution for final disposal of the most radioactive waste produced.
What are the examples of radioactive waste?
The various types of nuclear waste include uranium tailings, transuranic (TRU) waste, low-level waste, intermediate-level waste, high-level waste and spent fuel rods.
What are the regulations for high level radioactive waste?
Regulations establish minimum acceptable performance criteria for licensees managing wastes, while providing for flexibility in technological approach. High-level radioactive waste primarily is uranium fuel that has been used in a nuclear power reactor and is “spent,” or no longer efficient in producing electricity.
Where does radioactive waste come from in a nuclear plant?
Mill Tailings Radioactive (or nuclear) waste is a byproduct from nuclear reactors, fuel processing plants, hospitals and research facilities. Radioactive waste is also generated while decommissioning and dismantling nuclear reactors and other nuclear facilities. There are two broad classifications: high-level or low-level waste.
What does the Department of Energy do with radioactive waste?
The Department of Energy plans and carries out programs for safe handling of DOE-generated radioactive wastes, develops waste disposal technologies, and will design, construct and operate disposal facilities for DOE-generated and commercial high-level wastes.
Is there any way to recover low level radioactive waste?
There is no intent to recover the wastes once they are disposed of. Low-level waste includes items that have become contaminated with radioactive material or have become radioactive through exposure to neutron radiation.
