Talk:Low-level waste

Definition?

I thought that radioactive waste was classified as "low level" "medium level" and "high level".

Low level defined as waste mostly suspected of beinng contaminated or contaminated at such a low level that a few hundred years would be enough for decay. ----This is not true. Every spectrum of radioactive isotopes, from Plutonium, to Americium and Neptunium, are present in Class A, B and C. Its a matter of concentrations.---- The problem would be that an alpha (or beta) emitter would not be detectable inside a thick rag but could be deadly if ingested. (Alpha and beta emitters have very short reach (and usually life) and are only dangerous if inhaled or breathed) ----Pluonium is an alpha emitter and is deadly if inhaled and possibly ingested.----

Medium level defined as waste with long life and at dangerous concentrations. Examples would be reactor components, fuel casings and such. -----This is called Class C or Greater Than Class C GTCC in the US----

High level defined as spent fuel, very dangerous for a long time.

At least in Sweden they burn burnable low level waste in pure oxygen, check the flue gases for radiactivity (easy in gaseous form) (and sometimes dissolve the ash, check the fluid in thin layer) and can verify that there are no radioactivity in the waste. Seniorsag 13:51, 13 March 2007 (UTC) ----YOU CANNOT BURN AWAY RADIOACTIVITY. You are simply turning it into a different form, but the radiation still exists.----

In the UK, LLW is defined as waste below 12 GBq/t beta/gamma emitting nuclides and below 4 GBq/t alpha emitting nuclides, ILW is above these limits, and HLW is not on the grounds of activity, only on the grounds of requirement for active cooling (this is typically only spent fuel that meets this requirement, but that isn't the definition). The problem is that the activity contained in an item does not immediately tell you what sort of dose you can get from the item. Olonsdale 11:35, 1 July 2012

Operations by country

Some sources are here they're not easily accessed directly from the site navigation but were found by google: http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0407.shtml Belgium http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0408.shtml Canada http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0409.shtml Chine http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0410.shtml Finland http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0411.shtml France http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0412.shtml Germany http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0413.shtml Japan http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0414.shtml Russia http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0415.shtml Spain http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0416.shtml Sweden http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0417.shtml Switzerland http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0418.shtml UK

AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:15, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

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