Chapter 11 - Radioactive waste management

Abstract

Radioactive waste has to be managed properly to preserve the planet for the coming generations. The main focus of this chapter is on radioactive nuclear wastes accompanying with their different technologies developed for management. Nuclear applications have been rapidly developed recently, and several nuclear power plants have been started to work throughout the world. The potential impact of released radioactive contaminants into the environment has received growing attention due to nuclear accidents, which pose serious problems to biological systems. Nuclear and radioactive waste was generated from the mining, nuclear power plants and from the chemical laboratories. Various methodologies have been adopted within the framework of rules and regulation of government agencies for the disposal and management of radioactive nuclear waste. Management of radioactive nuclear waste is different from the management of other types of hazardous waste. Radioactive waste is defined as the material that contains or is contaminated with radionuclides at concentrations or activities greater than clearance levels as established by regulatory authorities. The higher the concentration of radionuclides above the established levels, the greater the hazard the waste possesses. The hazard of radioactive waste also depends on the nature of the radionuclides, and, at the same concentration, different radionuclides have different levels of hazard. The management of extremely increasing volumes of these wastes became a very important accordingly. Inadequate management of waste led to contamination of environment: water, soil, and atmosphere and to a serious impact on public health. Direct health impacts of mismanagement of waste are well known and can be observed obviously in developing countries. Saving of the environment and human health from the detrimental effects of hazardous and radioactive wastes is achieved by the effective improvement of waste management programs. In the scope of this study, the development in waste management planning and implementation of hazardous and radioactive wastes was presented.