Radioactive waste management involves the treatment, storage, and disposal of liquid, airborne, and solid effluents from the nuclear industry.
Methods of disposal of radioactive wastes are:
1. Limit generation – Limiting the generation of waste is the first and most important consideration in managing radioactive wastes.
2. Dilute and disperse – For wastes having low radioactivity, dilution and dispersion are adopted.
3. Delay and decay – Delay and decay is frequently an important strategy because much of the radioactivity in nuclear reactors and accelerators is very short lived.
4. Concentrate and confine process – Concentrating and containing is the objective of treatment activities for longer-lived radioactivity. The waste is contained in corrosion resistant containers and transported to disposal sites. Leaching of heavy metals and radionuclides from these sites is a problem of growing concern.