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Nuclear waste can take thousands to millions of years to decay completely, depending on the type of radioactive material.

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What is the estimates for how long it takes nuclear waste to completely decay?

dudee........You wont see it. Its 10,000 years.


Which is a problem caused by using nuclear energy?

There are arguments about where to store waste.


Why is nuclear energy not clean?

Nuclear energy is not considered completely clean because of the risks associated with nuclear accidents, such as Chernobyl and Fukushima. Additionally, the mining and refining of uranium to fuel nuclear reactors can have environmental impacts, and the management of radioactive waste is a long-term challenge.


Which energy source generates radioactive waste?

Nuclear energy generates radioactive waste in the form of spent nuclear fuel, which contains radioactive isotopes. This waste must be stored and managed properly due to its long-term hazardous nature.


Why do radioactive waste remain hot for thousands of years?

Radioactive waste remains hot for thousands of years primarily due to the decay of radioactive isotopes it contains. As these isotopes decay, they release energy in the form of heat and radiation. Some isotopes have long half-lives, meaning they take thousands to millions of years to decay to safe levels, thus prolonging the heat generation. This process creates a significant challenge for safe storage and management of nuclear waste over extended time periods.


Where do people put all the nuclear waste?

Nuclear waste is typically stored in secure facilities called nuclear waste repositories. These repositories are specially designed to safely contain and isolate the radioactive waste from the environment for long periods of time.


What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear waste?

Two disadvantages of nuclear waste are: disposal of nuclear waste is very expensive and takes a long time, and nuclear waste is radioactive. The advantages are: nuclear power plants are usually built on a coast, so the risk of contaminating drinking water is low; nuclear waste does not emit carbon into the air.


How long do atoms last in the context of nuclear decay and radioactive decay processes?

Atoms can last for varying amounts of time in the context of nuclear and radioactive decay processes. Some atoms can last for billions of years, while others may decay in a fraction of a second. The duration of an atom's existence depends on its specific properties and the type of decay it undergoes.


What is the estimate for how long it takes nuclear waste to complettly decay?

Each radioactive isotope has its own rate of decay, called the "half-life". This is the time that it takes for one-half of the radioactive elements to decay into something else. For very radioactive elements, the half-life is pretty short, but sometimes the element that id decays into is itself radioactive. It _NEVER_ completely decays, but at some point the nuclear waste is no more radioactive than the background material. Remember that some elements like uranium are naturally found in rock formations, and that elements like radon are naturally occuring in the environment. This becomes a problem in the basements moutainous areas, where radon gas accumulates and can cause lung cancers. In general, nuclear waste needs to be protected and isolated for about 50 years; after that, the residual radioactivity isn't going to be especially hazardous.


Why are nuclear waste sometimes said to be a problem too difficult to solve?

Nuclear wastes are sometimes said to be a problem too difficult to solve because the waste stays radioactive for so long. The only thing that gets rid of nuclear waste is time.


Does Nuclear fission as used in nuclear power plants produces radioactive waste with long half lives?

yes, Nuclear fission as used in nuclear power plants produces radioactive waste with long half lives. However, this creates no problems. This wastes are either confined in the spent nuclear fuel (that is stored either in wet storage or in dry storage facilities) or stored as vitrified nuclear waste.


How long before people find out how get rid of nuclear waste?

the late 1890s