Nuclear Waste & Recycling

Nuclear energy, like all industries and energy-producing systems, generates waste products. Nuclear waste is divided into three categories based on its radioactivity: low-level, intermediate-level, and high-level. Only highly contaminated objects, such as tools and work apparel, make up the great majority of the waste (90 percent of total volume) yet contain only 1% of the total radioactivity. High-level waste, on the other hand, accounts for only 3% of total waste volume but contains 95% of total radioactivity. It is largely made up of used nuclear (also referred to as spent) fuel that has been categorised as waste from nuclear reactions. Nuclear waste can be recycled. After a reactor's fuel (uranium or thorium) has been used, it can be processed and reused as fuel in another reactor. In fact, most reactors extract only a small percentage of the energy in their fuel. However, recycling nuclear waste typically entails executing sophisticated chemistry operations in a radiologically shielded space, which can be costly and result in substantial volumes of radioactive material being generated in liquid form.

• Radioactive Waste Management
• Nuclear Fuel Recycling
• Nuclear Fuel Cycles
• Nuclear Transformations
• Nuclear Reprocessing