Method
Advantage
Disadvantage
Landfills:
Waste is
buried in the
ground
 rotting material produces
methane gas which cold be
collected
 filled ground can be reused
 low cost
 can deal with large volumes
 Waste could be used as fuel
 Requires little land
 Reduces volume as most of
waste is converted into
gases
 Methane gas could
escape i.e. greenhouse
gas
 Pollution of ground water
Incineration:
burning of
waste
 Adds to greenhouse
effect as CO2 produced
 Can produce toxins such
as dioxin
 Requires energy as this
need to be done at high
temperatures to destroy
most toxic substances
characteristics
short half-life, low activity and high volume (approx
90%)
sources
(used in research and treating patients in hospitals)
materials such as gloves, coats, paper, tools, towels,
syringes, injection needles which have become radioactive
because they have been exposed to radiation in activities
such as sterilizing equipment in hospitals, manufacture of
smoke detectors, irradiating of food, radiotherapy, …
storage/disposal Different methods:
 stored on site e.g. in steel containers or cooling ponds,
until radioactive level is at safe level and then it is
disposed off as normal waste buried in land fill sites
 incinerated
characteristics
releases some heat
sources
It typically comprises resins, chemical
sludges and reactor components, as well as
contaminated materials from reactor
decommissioning.
storage/disposal
waste is first sealed in concrete and then in
steel drums which are placed in concrete
casks in concrete trenches. When a trench is
completely filled it is covered with a
concrete slab, a layer of compacted clay and
a reinforced concrete intrusion shield and a
final layer of clay.
characteristics
 long half-life, high activity and low volume
 very hot
 used nuclear fuels from nuclear reactors,
 waste products from processing used fuel
 nuclear weapons
storage/disposal is vitrified (made into glass) which is sealed in steel
containers and then buried underground in granite
rock or in deep mines;
 remains active for a very long time; 1000’s of years
issues
 Rods from reactor are transferred into deep pools
and cooled by water with a neutron absorber
 Then buried in earth encased in ceramic/glass and
packed in metal.
 geological instability (e.g. earthquakes);
 potential weapon for terrorists;
sources