Radioactive waste has become an extremely acute problem of our time. If at the dawn of the development of the nuclear energy industry, few thought about the need to store spent material, now this task has become extremely urgent. So why is everyone so worried?
Radioactivity
This phenomenon was discovered in connection with the study of the relationship between luminescence and x-rays. At the end of the 19th century, during a series of experiments with uranium compounds, the French physicist A. Beckerel discovered a previously unknown type of radiation passing through opaque objects. He shared his discovery with the Curie spouses, who began to study it closely. It was the world-famous Marie and Pierre who discovered that all uranium compounds, as well as it in its pure form, as well as thorium, polonium, and radium, have the property of natural radioactivity . Their contribution was truly invaluable.
Later it became known that all chemical elements, starting with bismuth, in one form or another are radioactive. Scientists also thought about how to use the nuclear decay process to generate energy, and were able to initiate and reproduce it artificially. And to measure the radiation level, a radiation dosimeter was invented.
Application
In addition to energy, radioactivity has been widely used in other sectors: medicine, industry, research and agriculture. Using this property, they learned to stop the spread of cancer cells, make more accurate diagnoses, find out the age of archaeological values, monitor the conversion of substances in various processes, etc. The list of possible uses of radioactivity is constantly expanding, so it’s even surprising that the issue of disposal of waste materials has become so sharp only in recent decades. But this is not just garbage that can be easily dumped in a landfill.
Radioactive waste
All materials have their own service life. This is not an exception for elements used in nuclear energy. The output is waste that still has radiation, but no longer has practical value. As a rule, used nuclear fuel that can be reprocessed or used in other areas is considered separately. In this case, we are talking simply about radioactive waste (RW), the further use of which is not provided, therefore, they must be disposed of.
Sources and Forms
Due to the variety of uses for radioactive materials, waste can also have a different origin and condition. They are either solid or liquid or gaseous. Sources can be very different, because in one form or another such waste often occurs during the extraction and processing of minerals, including oil and gas, there are also categories such as medical and industrial radioactive waste. There are also natural sources. Conventionally, all of this radioactive waste is divided into low, medium and high level. The USA also distinguishes the category of transuranic radioactive waste.
Options
For quite a long time it was believed that the disposal of radioactive waste does not require special rules, it was enough to disperse them in the environment. However, it was later discovered that isotopes tend to accumulate in certain systems, for example, animal tissues. This discovery changed the opinion about RW, since in this case the probability of their movement and ingestion into the human body with food became quite high. Therefore, it was decided to develop some options for how to deal with this type of waste, especially for the highly active category.
Modern technologies make it possible to neutralize the danger posed by radioactive waste by processing them in various ways or by placing them in a safe space for humans.
- Vitrification. In another way, this technology is called glazing. At the same time, RW go through several stages of processing, as a result of which a rather inert mass is obtained, placed in special containers. Next, these containers are sent to storage.
- Sinrock. This is another RW neutralization method developed in Australia. In this case, a special complex compound is used in the reaction.
- Burial place. At this stage, a search is underway for suitable places in the earth's crust where radioactive waste could be placed. The most promising project seems to be according to which the spent material is returned to uranium mines.
- Transmutation. Reactors are already being developed that can turn highly active radioactive waste into less hazardous substances. Simultaneously with the neutralization of waste, they are able to generate energy, so technologies in this area are considered extremely promising.
- Removing into outer space. Despite the attractiveness of this idea, it has a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, this method is quite expensive. Secondly, there is a risk of a launch vehicle accident that could be a disaster. Finally, the clogging of outer space with such wastes after some time can turn into big problems.
Disposal and storage rules
In Russia, the management of radioactive waste is governed primarily by the federal law and its comments, as well as by some related documents, for example, the Water Code. According to the Federal Law, all radioactive waste must be buried in the most isolated places, while pollution of water bodies is not allowed, sending into space is also prohibited.
Each category has its own rules, in addition, clearly defined criteria for classifying waste to one form or another and all necessary procedures. Nevertheless, Russia has a lot of problems in this area. Firstly, the disposal of radioactive waste can very soon become a non-trivial task, because there are not many specially equipped storage facilities in the country, and pretty soon they will be filled. Secondly, there is no unified system for managing the recycling process, which seriously complicates control.
International projects
Given that the storage of radioactive waste has become most urgent after the cessation of the arms race, many countries prefer to cooperate on this issue. Unfortunately, a consensus has not yet been reached in this area, but discussion of various programs at the UN continues. The most promising projects seem to be to build a large international repository of radioactive waste in sparsely populated areas, as a rule, we are talking about Russia or Australia. However, the citizens of the latter are actively protesting against this initiative.
Effects of exposure
Almost immediately after the discovery of the phenomenon of radioactivity, it became clear that it negatively affects the health and life of man and other living organisms. The studies that the Curie spouses conducted for several decades, eventually led to a severe form of radiation sickness in Maria, although she lived to be 66 years old.
This ailment is the main consequence of human exposure to radiation. The manifestation of this disease and its severity mainly depend on the total radiation dose received. They can be both quite light and cause genetic changes and mutations, thus affecting the next generation. One of the first to suffer from hematopoietic function, often patients have some form of cancer. Moreover, in most cases, treatment is quite ineffective and consists only in observing an aseptic regimen and eliminating symptoms.
Prevention
Preventing the condition associated with exposure to radiation is quite simple - just do not get into areas with its increased background. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, because many modern technologies use active elements in one form or another. In addition, not everyone carries a portable radiation dosimeter with them in order to know that they are in an area that can be harmful for long periods of time. Nevertheless, there are certain preventive and protective measures against hazardous radiation, although there are not many of them.
The first is shielding. Almost everyone who came to an x-ray of a certain part of the body faced this. If we are talking about the cervical spine or skull, the doctor suggests putting on a special apron, which contains elements of lead that does not allow radiation to pass through. Secondly, it is possible to maintain the body's resistance by taking vitamins C, B 6 and P. Finally, there are special drugs - radioprotectors. In many cases, they are very effective.