Energies
2022
,
15
, 7804. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15207804
www.mdpi.com/journal/energies
Review
Approaches to Disposal of Nuclear Waste
Michael I. Ojovan
1,
* and Hans J. Steinmetz
2
1
Department of Materials, Imperial
College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
2
Faculty of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Aachen University of
Applied Sciences,
Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1, 52428 Jülich, Germany
*
Correspondence: m.ojovan@imperial.ac.uk
Abstract:
We present a concise mini overview on the approaches to the disposal of nuclear waste
currently used or deployed. The disposal of nuclear waste is the end point of nuclear waste man-
agement (NWM) activities and is the emplacement of waste in an appropriate facility without the
intention to retrieve it. The IAEA has developed an internationally accepted classification scheme
based on the end points of NWM, which is used as guidance. Retention times needed
for safe isola-
tion of waste radionuclides are estimated based on the radiotoxicity of nuclear waste. Disposal fa-
cilities usually rely on a multi-barrier defence system to isolate the waste from the biosphere, which
comprises the natural geological barrier and the engineered barrier system. Disposal facilities could
be of a trench type, vaults, tunnels, shafts, boreholes, or mined repositories.
A graded approach
relates the depth of the disposal facilities’ location with the level of hazard. Disposal practices
demonstrate the reliability of nuclear waste disposal with minimal expected impacts on the envi-
ronment and humans.
Keywords:
disposal; nuclear waste; retention time; disposal facility; geological disposal; borehole
disposal
