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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).
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
40
41
90
50
40
20
80
60
30
10
100
70
0
Radioactive spent fuel
Other radioactive waste
In %
Volumes
Level of
radioactivity
Volumes and radioactivity
in United States
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
0
10
20
30
40
1982
1988
1992
1996
2000
Canada
United States
France
Germany
Sweden
Spent fuel generation
Source: OECD
Tonnes of
heavy metal
Number of plants
2000
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
Source: WorldWatch
Annual world nuclear reactor construction
Under the ocean
floor
Space Disposal
Island Geologic
Disposal
Polar Ice Sheets
Very Deep-Hole
Disposal
Deep-Well
Injection Disposal
Reprocessing
Nuclear Waste
Spent Nuclear Fuel
Low and Intermediate
Level Waste
Discharges from
Nuclear Power Plants
Deep Repository
Rock Caverns at
Intermediate Depth
Atmosphere
Sea Water
Other Radioactive Waste
Central Storage
Liquid Waste
Solid Waste
Airborne
Discharges
Conditioned
Solid Waste
Sewage Systems Landfill Sites
Atmosphere
Proposed alternatives
Type of waste and
proposed destination
Source: STUK & OCRWMb
Existing radioactive waste disposal and proposed alternatives for storage