nuclear waste
Dangerous atomic refuse
Nuclear waste is radioactive material left over from nuclear power plants, weapons production, or medical procedures.
It remains hazardous for periods ranging from years to millennia, depending on the isotopes involved.
Storage and disposal present persistent challenges: The debate over where to bury nuclear waste has stalled for decades.
High-level waste requires deep geological repositories; low-level waste may go to specialized landfills.
Encased fissile material tubes
- spent fuelUsed nuclear material
- uraniumElement ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- reactorControlled fission apparatus
fission · reprocessing · enrichment · yellowcake · breeder reactor · thorium · transmutation · actinides
Unstable atoms releasing energy
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
- isotopesAtomic number twins
- radionuclidesAtoms with unstable nuclei
- gammaGreek alphabet's third
alpha particles · beta particles · ionizing · transuranic · dosimeter · roentgen · neutrons · radiogenic
Place for storing things
- disposalAct of throwing away
- sequestrationAct of setting apart
- encapsulationSurrounding on all sides
- vitrificationTransformation into glass
reprocessing · immobilization · barriers · containment · monitoring · safeguards · permanence · legacy
Unintended fluid escape
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
- soilGround matter for planting
- spillAccidental liquid release
- cleanupRestoration of order
remediation · plume · migration · seepage · Hanford · Chernobyl · Fukushima · exclusion zone
fuel rods
Encased fissile material tubes
- spent fuelUsed nuclear material
- uraniumElement ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
reactor · fission · reprocessing · enrichment · yellowcake · breeder reactor · thorium · transmutation · actinides · cladding
radioactive decay
Unstable atoms releasing energy
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
- isotopesAtomic number twins
- radionuclidesAtoms with unstable nuclei
gamma · alpha particles · beta particles · ionizing · transuranic · dosimeter · roentgen · neutrons · radiogenic · cesium-137
repository
Place for storing things
- disposalAct of throwing away
- sequestrationAct of setting apart
- encapsulationSurrounding on all sides
vitrification · reprocessing · immobilization · barriers · containment · monitoring · safeguards · permanence · legacy · millennia
leakage
Unintended fluid escape
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
- soilGround matter for planting
- spillAccidental liquid release
cleanup · remediation · plume · migration · seepage · Hanford · Chernobyl · Fukushima · exclusion zone · bioaccumulation
carcinogenic
Causes cancer
cancer · thyroid · leukemia · radiation sickness · mutation · teratogenic · dose · chronic · acute · occupational
- Nuclearatomic bomb, atomic bombs, uranium, reactors, fission
- Nuclear Plantsreactor, reactor core, control rods, cooling tower, fuel rods
- energy impactsoil spills, carbon emissions, air pollution, greenhouse gases, emissions
- Environmental Policyclimate policy, Clean Air Act, conservation policy, Clean Water Act, environmental regulation
- nuclear securitynon-proliferation, nonproliferation, weapons inspectors, uranium enrichment, plutonium
- radioactivityradioactive decay, radioactive isotopes, radioisotopes, radionuclides, half-life
nuclear wasteclean energy
Power from sustainable sources
renewable energy · solar power · wind power · green technology · clean air
waste, wasted, wasteful, nuclear, wasting, wastefully, wastefulness, nucleate, unwasted