Lesson 6 6.9 Radioactive Waste Classification

Syllabus Coverage: NFC5.3

Radioactive wastes can be classified in many different ways: according to source, physical state, levels of radioactivity, half-lives, final disposal requirements and radiotoxicity. The two most significant and widely used parameters are:

  1. Half-lives of the radionuclides (used by the IAEA)
  2. Concentration levels (used in the UK)