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Radioactive Waste Management: Discuss
Radioactive Waste Management: Discuss
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wastes doesn’t require very special protection and is easy to dispose of in compacted form.
Intermediate-Level Waste (ILW)
It has a higher level of radioactivity than low-level waste and requires shielding while
handling. This is typically generated by the chemical industry and through contamination
from nuclear reactor decommissioning.
High-Level Waste (HLW)
These wastes emit considerable radiation that increases the temperature of the surroundings.
Therefore, cooling is required to handle it. It is produced by burning uranium in nuclear
reactors. HLW contains short-lived fission products that are required to be separated from the
long-lived components for the successful disposal and management of waste.
AD
LLW comprises some 90% of the total radioactive waste but contributes only 1% of the
radioactivity.
ILW constitutes about 7% of the volume and has 4% of the radioactivity of all radioactive
waste.
HLW accounts for just 3% of the volume but contributes to 95% of the total radioactivity of
produced waste.
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Planning and Preparation: The aim should be to reduce the volume of radioactive waste
generated as an industrial by-product through proper planning and preparation.
Treatment of Waste: Wastes are treated according to their type and disposal process.
Packaging: Radioactive wastes required packaging in specially designed containers to make it
convenient for storage, transport, and disposal.
Storage: Safe and secure storing arrangements need to be done for the radioactive wastes till
suitable disposal methods are implemented.
Disposal: This is the process of placing wastes permanently using some specially engineered
facilities.
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management: The waste with low-level surface radioactivity
can be passed through the recycling process to reduce its radioactive content. The waste is
cut, placed in special containers, and send to a recycling facility where the surface is removed
to separate the radioactive layer leaving behind the non-radioactive part.
Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Management: These wastes need treatments like
cutting, compacting, or drying and then packaging into suitable containers for storage and
disposal.
High-level Radioactive Waste Management: This type of waste is generally produced in
liquid form, during reprocessing of fuel from nuclear power plants. This liquid waste is mixed
with crushed glass to be heated in a furnace. The molten output is put into metal containers to
give it a solid and compact form that is ready for long-term storage and suitable disposal. This
process is known as vitrification. High-level waste (HLW) management is the most crucial part
because the impact is more severe. The scope for volume reduction is possible with low-level
waste (LLW) and intermediate-level waste (ILW) radioactive wastes. There are two commonly
used methods to reduce the volume of radioactive components in the waste. These processes
are as follows:
Incineration: The waste is treated at a temperature of around 1000 degrees Celsius to
produce fumes which are again treated and filtered before being allowed for emission into the
atmosphere.
Compaction: It uses the technology for volume reduction by applying a compaction force of
around 1000 tones that reduces the volume by 3 to 10 times, depending on the nature of
waste.
Conclusion:
The
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management must focus on protecting present as well as future human generations. Regulations
and standards have been developed at the international and national level that provides definite
guidelines for radiation protection and radioactive waste management. Continuous studies and
Research have developed new processes and technologies in the field of radioactive waste
management. The innovative methods focus on minimizing waste volume, isolation of waste,
reduction in radioactive discharges, and extracting useful materials from waste. Such
developments can make countries well equipped to handle radioactive waste management
projects successfully.
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