Radioactive Waste Treatment Technologies

Abstract

As discussed in Sect. 1.3.1 “Radioactive waste treatment and disposal processes,” the treatment of radioactive wastes includes three steps: pretreatment, treatment and conditioning; these three processes are not performed independently of each other. Instead, appropriate pretreatment, treatment and conditioning methods need to be selected based on the characteristics of the wastes to be treated (e.g., the amount, physical and chemical properties, contained nuclides, and radioactivity level) and also by taking into account both the interconnectedness of the individual steps of the treatment processes and the disposal process subsequent to the treatment processes. These matters are discussed as Principle 8 “Radioactive Waste Generation and Management Interdependencies” of the IAEA’s Principles of Radioactive Waste Management Safety Fundamentals [1].

The nuclear regulatory system in Japan has been changed significantly after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in March 2011. Descriptions in this chapter have been translated from the book originally published in Japanese before the accident, with minimal update where appropriate.