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What Are the Dangers of Nuclear Waste Disposal?

Harnessing the power of the atom has propelled humanity forward at an astonishing rate since the dawn of the Nuclear Age. However, the proper disposal and storage of nuclear waste leaves an incomplete equation. Nuclear waste comes from nuclear power reactors and byproducts of military-grade bombs. This waste can come in the form of spent nuclear fuel rods or even toxic sludge. Perhaps the greatest danger of nuclear energy is the long-term investment in waste disposal that will be passed to future generations.

  1. Heavy Metals

    • Some radioactive materials are broken down into toxic, heavy metals such as arsenic and lead. The mining of uranium ore also produces a heavy medal byproduct called uranium mill tailings. These scrap metals are found at old mining sites and endanger the environment with toxic arsenic and lead. These heavy metals have no half-lives, and their danger to humanity and the environment is a permanent one. Toxic heavy metals are absorbed by the cells and tissues of the body and cause cancer and genetic damage for generations to come.

    Geologic Processes

    • Although burial and long-term storage remain the best solutions for nuclear waste disposal, geologic processes pose a significant danger to these repositories. In reality, our limited ability to accurately predict moving fault lines, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions is the true danger. The likelihood and possible location of future earthquakes is the initial concern when selecting a disposal site. On the other hand, flooding and groundwater pose their own geologic threat to underground disposal sites. Rising groundwater can erode away containment zones and spread radioactive waste into the water table.

    Long-Term Radioactivity

    • Nuclear technology has helped society reach new technological heights, but some critics argue that future generations pay the price for this expansion. One of the main concerns for the disposal of nuclear waste is long-lived radionuclides such as Strontium-90. With a half-life of 28.5 years, Strontium-90 can replace calcium in bones and contaminate land and groundwater for hundreds of years. Cesium and Plutonium isotopes, for example, remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years. These concerns are so extremely long-term, that planning for the safe and supervised disposal of these isotopes is virtually impossible.

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