Industrial and Radioactive Waste Disposal

With the exponential increase in population, industrialisation and urbanisation, environmental pollution has become a dominant issue. 

Industrialisation is essential for developing countries to elevate their economy and promote self-reliance. However, a major adverse effect of industrialisation is the increase in hazardous industrial and radioactive waste. It is important to mitigate the harmful effects of industrial and radioactive waste on the environment, human society and biodiversity of a country. The most important among these is the proper disposal of such waste. Some methods and technologies of industrial and radioactive waste disposal are discussed here.

Industrial waste disposal

Industrial waste disposal involves the following steps.

Collection and transport of wastes

In developing countries, due to a lack of mechanical help, industrial waste disposal is generally done manually. Workers move the industrial waste into trucks by hand. They not only move waste but also pick out useful items, usually without any protective equipment like gloves. These practices can harm their health as the waste may contain toxic substances or hazardous materials like sharp broken glass or metal. Proper protective gear must be provided for handling industrial waste, and mechanical aids should be used wherever possible.

Storage and transportation

In many industrial factories, proper storage of industrial waste is a huge issue. Almost no proper methods are developed for proper disposal, and heaps of waste can be seen in many factories. The most common storage containers are concrete bays and drums. No protection is used against microbial growth because waste is considered an undesirable by-product and is thus left unmanaged by the administration. Personnel and transport vehicles carrying hazardous or non-hazardous waste are not required to have a licence or permit. This practice leads to dangers to life and machinery.

Disposal of industrial solid waste

Industrial waste contains hazardous waste, and this complicates its disposal. Although the category of industrial waste is not specifically dangerous when produced in the municipal areas of a developing country. In recent years, developed countries are adopting environmentally friendly practices and regulations for well-controlled industrial waste disposal. If these regulations are not implemented properly, environmental pollution will keep on increasing uncontrollably.

Types of radioactive waste

Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LILW) 

The waste produced in the nuclear fuel cycle and facilities emitting radiation such as nuclear power plants, radiochemical facilities etc., is known as Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LILW).

Generally, LILW radioactive waste contains a low quantity and greater volume of radioactivity. LILW is sorted on the basis of physical properties, which require different management techniques. The different management techniques are based on the process of effective disposal of radioactive waste. Low and Intermediate Level Waste may also be differentiated on the basis of half-life.

High-Level Waste (HLW)

In a continuous fuel cycle of reprocessing of spent fuel, high-level radioactive liquid waste (HLW) is produced. HLW contains about 99% radioactivity of the fuel cycle. During the first fuel cycle of reprocessing of spent fuel, a good amount of radioactive waste is produced in an aqueous state. Solid waste containing long-lived radionuclides more than the authorised amounts is also categorised as HLW. The long-lived radionuclides released as a by-product of the nuclear process have also been a subject of heavy criticism. This type of waste needs to be segregated from the biosphere and must be monitored for a long period of time, or even for generations. HLW is contained in waste isolation systems with several barriers. This is done to prevent contact between the human environment and long-lived radionuclides.

Radioactive waste disposal

The technology selected for use in radioactive waste management facilities should have a principal focus on reducing the amount of radioactive waste.

All physical forms of disposable waste must not be disposed of in the biosphere unless exempted by regulation in accordance with the waste management philosophy.

Before establishing an extensive radioactive waste disposal plan, the functionality and self-reliance of the administration for radioactive waste disposal management must be taken into consideration. Along with safeguarding human civilisation, biodiversity and future generations as the main objective, radioactive waste disposal management is built on the principles of: 

1. Delay and delay
2. Dilute and disperse
3. Recycle and reuse
4. Concentrate and contain

Before effectively disposing of radioactive waste, it needs to be isolated, characterised, treated, conditioned and managed.

HLW is produced during the reprocessing of spent fuel reprocessing. Most of the radioisotopes present in HLW emit long-lived radionuclides in the form of radiation. The methods employed in managing HLW are:

1. The liquid containing HLW  undergoes a process called vitrification, in which the liquid is immobilised into glasses.
2. This vitrified waste undergoes passive cooling and is kept under observation over a long period and prepared for disposal.
3. The vitrified waste is put in a geological disposal site.

Conclusion

Careful disposal of industrial and radioactive waste is of high importance. Well-established and secure practices are needed to be exercised and maintained by governing agencies to monitor proper industrial and radioactive waste disposal. With the help of the research and development sector, better technologies and processes must be developed to minimise the volume of waste, effectively isolate radionuclide, reduce the discharge, and better dispose of waste. These developmental practices will make the country a pioneer in the field of waste management.