Radioactive waste, 2015
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Radioactive waste is a byproduct of nuclear power production at power plants. The level of radioactivity depends on the amount of nuclear fuel processed and the amount of waste produced.[1]
Types of waste
Radioactive waste is a byproduct of the nuclear fuel cycle in which electricity is produced from uranium in nuclear reactors. The level of fuel produced generally determines the level of waste produced. Three levels are used by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to classify the waste's radioactivity level: high, intermediate, and low.[2][3]
- Low level waste contains 1 percent of the total radioactive content in waste produced during the nuclear fuel cycle. It can contaminate shoes, clothing, mops, tools, or medical tubes. Compared to other waste levels, low level waste is generally the easiest to dispose of.
- Intermediate level waste contains 4 percent of the total radioactive content in nuclear waste. Most intermediate level wastes are produced after a reactor is decommissioned.
- High level waste contains 95 percent of the total radioactive content in nuclear waste. It is produced from the burning of uranium fuel in a reactor and must be handled more carefully than other wastes. Most high level wastes are stored inside geological sites in remote areas over a long period of time so it becomes less radioactive.
See also
Footnotes
