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Below is a short account of the different categories of nuclear waste which arise from the operations of the nuclear industry: these waste are classified according to their level of radioactivity, i.e. low, intermediate or high, and its form, i.e. solid, liquid or gaseous.
arise from water used in cooling, cleaning and other operational processes.
arise from nuclear plant operations and ventilation systems. Both are discharged to the environment, after treatment to reduce their radioactive content, under authorisations granted under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA 93) - see below on the regulatory regime coverisng the disposal of radioactive wastes. Improvements in technology have allowed levels of radioactivity in liquid and gaseous discharges to be progressively reduced over the last 20 years. For example, as a result of investing over £750 million in new treatment plants at Sellafield, BNFL's radioactive discharges to the Irish Sea are now less than 1% of what they were in the mid 1970s.
includes slightly contaminated material such as gloves, overalls or laboratory equipment. It constitutes about 94% by volume of all radioactive waste. It is mainly disposed of, under authorisations granted under RSA93, at a 300-acre purpose built disposal facility at Drigg in Cumbria. This waste arises not only from the nuclear industry, but from many other users of radioactive substances, such as hospitals, research establishments and industry. It is packed into containers and placed in concrete-lined vaults which are subsequently sealed.
is more active material consisting mainly of metals, with smaller quantities of organic materials, inorganic sludges, cement, graphite, glass and ceramics. Intermediate-level waste mainly arises from the dismantling and reprocessing of spent fuel and from the general operation of nuclear plants. It constitutes about 6% of all radioactive waste by volume and is currently stored, mainly at the sites of production.
which constitutes about 0.3% by volume, arises only from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. It is stored in raw form at Sellafield and Dounreay in special tanks. It is being converted into vitrified (glass) form at Sellafield where it will be stored in purpose built facilities for at least 50 years to cool before disposal.
Until 1982, the UK disposed of some low and intermediate-level wastes in drums at selected sites in the deep ocean. This option has not been exercised since then and in 1993 the Government accepted an international ban on sea disposal of radioactive wastes.
The Government is taking forward the issue of higher activity wastes through the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) process. Further information can be found on the Defra: Radioactive Waste Management Safely (MRWS) website.
