Abstract
Before the discovery of nuclear fission and its utilization as a source of energy, the disposal of radioactive waste did not present a significant problem. It has been estimated that the total quantity of radioactivity in use in research and medicine in 1938 was less than 30 TBq, corresponding to about 1 kg of radium derived from natural sources. Today, a single large power generating reactor may contain in excess of 108 TBq of fission products and there are several hundreds of power reactors in the world. With the increasing emphasis on protection of the environment, the management of these wastes is becoming an important factor in both the economics and the public acceptability of nuclear power.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Berkhout, F. (1991) Radioactive Waste: Politics and Technology, Routledge. This study provides a detailed historical account of the policy and practice of radioactive waste management in Britain, Sweden and the Federal Republic of Germany.
International Atomic Energy Agency (1994) Classification of Radioactive Waste: A Safety Guide.
Tang, Y. S. and Saling, J. H. (1990) Radioactive Waste Management, Taylor and Francis.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1996 Alan Martin and Samuel A. Harbison
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Martin, A., Harbison, S.A. (1996). Radioactive waste. In: An Introduction to Radiation Protection. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-4543-3_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-4543-3_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-412-63110-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-4543-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive