Sustainability

Energy

Nuclear

The problem of nuclear waste

Another risk is connected to the disposal of radioactive waste. With reference to radioactive isotopes, it is necessary to plan a controlled storage of 500-700 years, while in the case of plutonium, it takes thousands of years (see image).
The problems to be solved are related to the treatment of radioactive waste and the choice of geologically stable environments where waste can be deposited once it has been treated.
Therefore, when a nuclear plant is going to be built, it is necessary to consider the possibility to rely on suitable deposits to store the production of radioactive waste and equipment to extract the plutonium from the irradiated material.
Actually, the quantity of waste produced from the nuclear sector is a lot lower than the quantity produced by burning fossil fuels.
Many radioactive products deriving from the nuclear combustion cycle have a radioactivity that is similar or slightly higher than natural quantities. This waste is relatively easy to manage. Only a small fraction is highly radioactive and needs to be isolated.