ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES

摘要

The creation of huge quantities of short and long-lived radioactive wastes is the most formidable problem facing the nuclear power industry today. The difficulty of waste disposal was not considered to be a big problem during the time when power plants were first introduced; it was assumed that waste could be recycled or buried. Unfortunately, finding safe ways of storing radioactive wastes so that they do not leak radiation into the environment has proved to be a much more difficult task than anticipated. This paper comprehensively overviews the nuclear fuel cycle, types of radioactive wastes, health risk associated with radioactive wastes, with special emphasis on current disposal practices and management of radioactive wastes.