Types of radioactive waste (radwaste) / Waste management

Types of radioactive waste (radwaste) Exempt waste contains such a low con­centration of activity that it does not need to be treated differently from ordinary non-radioactive waste;

Low-level Waste is generated from hospitals, laboratories and industry, as well as the nuclear fuel cycle. It comprises paper, rags, tools, clothing, filters etc. which contain small amounts of mostly short-lived radioactivity. It is not dangerous to handle, but must be disposed of more carefully than normal garbage. Usually it is buried in shallow landfill sites. To reduce its volume, it is often compacted or incinerated (in a closed container) before disposal. Worldwide it comprises 90% of the volume but only 1% of the radioactivity of all radwaste. Intermediate-level Waste contains higher amounts of radioactivity and may require special shielding. It typically comprises resins, chemical sludges and reactor components, as well as contaminated materials from reactor decommissioning. Worldwide it makes up 7% of the volume and has 4% of the radioactivity of all radwaste. It may be solidified in concrete or bitumen for disposal. Generally short-lived waste (mainly from reactors) is buried, but long-lived waste (from reprocessing nuclear fuel) will be disposed of deep underground.

Disposal Characteristics Typical sources Type of waste Normal municipal refuse disposal facilities Can be treated as normal refuse Contains very limited amounts of radionuclides Exempt waste Mine tailings dams- return high grade tailings underground Huge volumes Mine tailings Mining waste Mine tailings for low grades, on surface storage for higher grades Enhanced levels of naturally occurring radionuclides Waste from minerals processing scale from pipes or equipment NORM waste Shorter lived in near surface disposal facilities or intermediate _ depth mined caverns (from around 60 to100 m depth) Longer lived stored pending development of deeper disposal facilities Limited heat generation Contaminated paper, clothing, laboratory equipment, contaminated soil and building materials Ion exchange materials from treatment of effluents sludges from cooling ponds Low/ intermediate level waste Geological disposal, consideration being given to intermediate depth storage (tens of metres) Treated as a special category in some countries As Iow/intermediate level waste, but with alpha (especially plutonium) contamination Alpha waste Geological disposal (a few hundred metres deep in stable geological formations) Need heavy shielding and cooling Spent fuel (when treated as waste) Highly active liquor from reprocessing High level waste Table (15): Radioactive waste classification