Vital Waste Graphics

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Types of Radioactive Waste High-level waste includes the spent fuel from nuclear power generation, or the residual waste from repro- cessing the spent fuel. The military also produce high-level waste. Low and intermediate level waste includes items that have come into contact with some radiation. This may be at nuclear power plants, hos- pitals, dentists, research laboratories and other commercial operations. Both the volume and the level of radioactivity have to be considered – a large volume of waste with a low-level of radioactivity presents less danger than a smaller amount of waste with a high-level of radioactiv- ity. For example, spent fuel (elements that have been removed from a reac- tor after use) makes up less than 1% of the volume of radioactive waste, but contains almost 95% of the total radioactivity. (Office of Civilian Ra- dioactive Waste Management).

Volumes and radioactivity in United States

Annual world nuclear reactor construction

Number of plants

Level of radioactivity

0 10 20 30 40

In % Volumes

100

90

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Source: WorldWatch

80

Tonnes of heavy metal

Spent fuel generation

70

2 500

United States

60

2 000

50

Canada

40

1 500

30

France

1 000

20

Germany

500

10

Sweden

0

0

Radioactive spent fuel Other radioactive waste

1982

1988

1992

1996

2000

Source: OECD

Existing radioactive waste disposal and proposed alternatives for storage

Proposed alternatives

Space Disposal

Atmosphere

Type of waste and proposed destination

Other Radioactive Waste

Airborne Discharges

Conditioned Solid Waste

Liquid Waste

Solid Waste

Polar Ice Sheets

Central Storage

Island Geologic Disposal

Sewage Systems Landfill Sites

Reprocessing

Atmosphere Sea Water

Rock Caverns at Intermediate Depth

Deep Repository

Discharges from Nuclear Power Plants

Under the ocean floor

Low and Intermediate Level Waste

Spent Nuclear Fuel

Deep-Well Injection Disposal

Very Deep-Hole Disposal

Nuclear Waste

Source: STUK & OCRWMb

Source of radioactivity 1. Produced during all phases of nuclear energy production (nuclear fuel cycle) 2. Defence activities 3. Hospitals, universities, and research laboratories 4. Industry 5. Mining and milling uranium ore