Radioactive Waste

Describes the many by-products resulting from the fission of uranium-235, the fuel used in nuclear power plants, as well as all items and materials contaminated through use in the power plant. Radioactive waste is classified according to its radiation level (very low level to high level) and life span (a few seconds to several hundred thousand years). The most hazardous form of radioactive waste is high level long-lived waste, which represents just 0.2% of all waste but 96% of total radioactivity.