October theme – nuclear wastes
For October, we focus on RADIOACTIVE WASTES At every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive wastes are released. Sometimes in small amounts, sometimes in large, some short-lived, some very long-lived, these invisible radioactive isotopes travel through air, water, soil, into plants, animals, and through the food chain.
High-level waste consists mostly of milling tailings, spent nuclear reactor fuel from both commerical power plants and military facilities, as well as reprocessed materials .
Low-level waste includes the remainder of radioactive wastes and materials generated in power plants, such as contaminated reactor water, plus those wastes created in medical laboratories, hospitals, and industry. Such wastes come in many ways, including – protective clothing of people in contact with radioactive materials, old medical radiation equipment from hospitals and clinics.
All can emit radiation for hundreds of thousands of years. It spreads through the environment mainly through water. Buried wastes leak into groundwater
