High-level radioactive waste consists primarily of the byproducts of nuclear power plants and defense activities. Such wastes are highly radioactive and often decay very slowly. They may release dangerous levels of radiation for hundreds or thousands of years. Most high-level radioactive wastes have to be handled by remote control by workers who are protected by heavy shielding. They present, therefore, a serious health and environmental hazard. No entirely satisfactory method for disposing of high-level wastes has as yet been devised. Currently, the best approach seems to involve immobilizing the wastes in a glass-like material and then burying them deep underground.

See Also

Low-Level Radioactive Waste; Radioactive Decay; Radioactive Pollution; Radioactive Waste Management; Radioactivity