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Nuclear waste would harm people and animals rather than the environment as such. I have not seen evidence on the effect of radiation on vegetation. Nuclear waste must be well contained and shielded to avoid damaging people, and so long as everyone concerned is careful and responsible, this won't happen.
If it leaked into rivers or was spread over farmland it would be ingested by grazing animals and fish and hence would enter the human food chain, and if it became high enough would then start to harm human health.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoNuclear waste is carefully controlled, the spent fuel which is the most active is always kept in a safe place. In the US so far this has always been on the power station sites, in the UK and France it has been sent to a central plant for dismantling and chemical treatment. These plants, Sellafield and La Hague, are occasionally the subject of scare stories about release of activity. Certainly there has been some truth in these stories, but they are greatly exaggerated in terms of the effects they have had. Discharge of low level arisings from chemical processing are to the sea and the first thing to be affected would be fish especially shell fish. Specimens are regularly collected and analysed, and I am not aware of any serious causes for concern, though groups such as Greenpeace will always dispute this.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoSerious problems, and it can also cause genetic mutations. You wont become Superman though.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoRadioactive wastes are dangerous for living organisms.
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How does nuclear waste cause land pollution?
It would cause pollution because it would harm men or animals using the land, and would contaminate food produced on the land. However this is not allowed to happen, nuclear waste is carefully controlled and confined to waste stores designed for the purpose
Why is dealing with nuclear waste a problem?
I wonder that some think that there is difficulty in disposal of radioactive waste. Toxic waste is even more difficult. Radioactivity levels reduce by time but toxicity not. There is no difficulty in disposal of radioactive wastes except the unjustified concerns of the public that oppose radioactive waste disposal in their vicinity. Currently; there are well established methods; subject to strict local and international regulations; and approaches to deal with radioactive waste based on the waste form (solid, liquid. gaseous) and the radioactivity level (low, intermediate, high). Primarily; three methods are applied:delay and decay: to maintain waste in tanks for some periods of time to allow decay of radioactivity and then to be disposed of to environment.dilute and disperse: to dispose to environment (through dilution and dispersion) as ocean, sea, atmosphere, etc.contain and concentrate: This is used mainly for high level radioactive waste as spent fuel or the spent fuel reprocessing products; either in wet storage, dry storage, or incineration&containment in barrels, or vitrified waste.
How do you dispose of high level nuclear waste?
Unfortunately for humankind, the answer is, as yet, not known.
What are the problems with radioactive waste?
First, let's define what is meant by "nuclear waste", as it is important to categorize what exactly is waste, in the same way that people's "garbage" is now broken down into categories like "recyclables", "compost", "yard waste", etc.In general, there are three categories of nuclear waste, rated by their radioactivity: "low-level", "medium-level", and "high-level" waste.Low-level waste consists of normal materials used in the production or handling of nuclear products, and which does not itself emit any radiation. The primary concern here is toxic issues, as many nuclear products are toxic as well as radioactive. Remember that "nuclear" products are not just reactor fuel - we use radioactive materials in a vast variety of things, from medical devices such as X-Ray, CAT, and MRI machines, to alloys of specialty metals (used in a myriad of places), to even things like batteries. Low-level waste (which composes 99% of all "nuclear waste") is a huge variety of items: normal clothing, latex gloves, metal handling tools, tubs where materials were mixed, etc.As such, the problem with disposing low-level waste is functionally identical to that of disposing standard "toxic" waste. The items in question aren't really radioactive in any meaningful way, but they still are contaminated with material that can cause significant environmental harm. So, they should be disposed of in the same way we'd like to dispose of things such as toxic chemicals (DDT, Ditoxin, Petroleum byproducts, etc.). Currently, there's only really two ways to get rid of these items: bury them in sealed containers away from people (which, frankly, is not a real good solution, since the time it takes for such toxic material to decompose/break down is quite a while), or burn them in special incinerators.With low-level waste, there is very little risk associated with transporting the waste to a disposal point. Overall, low-level waste is less difficult to dispose of properly than most toxic industrial chemicals, but more difficult than "ordinary" toxic waste such as household cleaners, etc.Medium-level nuclear waste is generally metals and other compounds which have been exposed to extended amounts of radiation, and thus have become radioactive themselves. Typical of items in this category are equipment used in a nuclear reactor (as they become radioactive after exposure to the nuclear fuel or coolant), or items used to house, transport, or create the nuclear fuel.These items do pose a radiological threat, though only over a long period of time. As mildly radioactive materials, people exposed to them over months or years would receive radiation that would significantly increase their chances of developing cancers or other radiologically-induced diseases. However, short-term limited exposure is not particularly threatening.Medium-level waste is generally not notably toxic - the primary threat is long-term exposure to the material. As such, the disposal problem is to isolate the waste until the level of radiation given off drops to a safe level. As most medium-level waste radiates low-intensity radiation, but does it for an extended time (decades at a minimum, often centuries), disposal methods need to consider long-term isolation storage, though radiation shielding does not have to extensive. As most medium-level waste is building materials or equipment, liquid leakage is generally not a problem. Common solutions are to store such items in a sealed mine. Old salt mines are popular, as they have very little water leakage, and the mild radiation is easily absorbed by the thick salt walls.High-level waste is what most people think of when "nuclear waste" is spoken of. Reactor fuel makes up most of this category, but also a variety of spent isotopes from X-Ray and MRI and other medical uses is also of a concern. In general, this category is made up of materials that are naturally radioactive, whether being an "ordinary" radioactive element, or a byproduct of nuclear decay that are still radioactive.Unfortunately, most high-level waste is not only extremely radioactive (giving significant amounts of short-term radiation if touched, ingested, or inhaled), but also quite toxic. Indeed, for many high-level waste products, the long-term toxic hazard outweighs their relatively short-lived radiological hazard. Most high-level wastes are easily absorbed into the ecosystem, able to infiltrate the food chain quickly, and can cause catastrophic damage to all parts of the environment.As literally the most dangerous materials of the modern world (with the possible exception of customized biological weapon materials), they pose a myriad of problems. Their radiological effects require that they be isolated and contained in heavily-shielded places, while their toxic nature requires such places to be resistant to the corrosive effects of the waste and also to be sealed from contact to the local environment. The radiation characteristics of each material differ wildly, so a solution for one waste material may not be suitable for use by other waste materials. Similarly, the chemical and toxic characteristics of each waste material make designing a one-size-fits-all solution practically impossible. For instance, plutonium has a moderate level of radioactivity, very long half-life, very high toxicity, but is rather chemically inert. Cesium and Strontium, however, have high levels of radioactive emissions, a short half-life, low toxicity, but are highly chemically active (i.e. they easily combine with other molecules and thus are easily absorbed into the ecosystem).Due to these serious problems of toxicity, chemically active nature, and high radiological risk, transportation of these items is difficult to do safely. Disposal consists of extreme isolation and containment in highly-corrosion-resistant containers.Fortunately, high-level waste is a very small amount. It can be further reduced by efficient recycling and re-processing "spent" reactor fuel, allowing for up to 90% of the "spent" fuel to be re-used, and thus kept out of the waste disposal chain. Estimates for the worldwide annual volume of high-level waste depend on the amount of recycling that happen, but it is relatively small - in the dozens of tons. Thus, while the problem is extremely difficult, fortunately the amount of such materials is tiny.---------------To answer the question, each form of waste has different levels of problems associated with it. Broadly, here are the categories of problems:Toxic - the material is poisonous or unhealthy if ingested, inhaled, or touched.Corrosive - the material causes significant damage to other materials which come in contact with it.Radioactive - the material emits radiation which may cause harm to living tissueExplosive/Heat Risk - the material may explode under certain circumstances, or is significantly exothermic (i.e. produces heat on its own)Chemically Reactive - the material is prone to producing volatile, toxic, or other dangerous compounds when exposed to the normal environment.Militarily Valuable - the material has military value; that is, it is an important ingredient in creating some sort of weaponEach level of nuclear waste (and, even within each level) has a different combination of the above characteristics.Toxic materials must be either rendered chemically non-toxic, or isolated from exposure to the environment. Transportation of these materials is generally dangerous, as accidents are hard to clean up and the effects of a spill can be widespread.Corrosive materials must be rendered chemically inert, or stored in special containers resistant to the corrosive effects. Transportation is very dangerous, as they pose a severe hazard to the area around the accident (though less danger to large areas).Radioactive materials must be stored in shielded containers until the amount of radiation emitted by the material is at a safe level. Transportation is generally safe, as accidents are relatively easy to contain (though expensive).Explosive and Exothermic materials must either being chemically neutralized, or sealed in a non-reactive container and isolated from any outside contact. Transportation is an extreme hazard, as any accident can result in almost total destruction of the area around the spill (though, no larger-scale damage).Chemically Reactive materials must be either be chemically destroyed (i.e. turned into a compound which isn't reactive), or stored in special chemically inert, sealed containers. As with explosive/exothermic materials, transportation is extremely hazardous, as any accident can cause widespread destruction.Militarily Valuable materials must either be guarded from theft, or reformulated into materials that are impractical for making into a weapon. Transportation is expensive due to required police/military protection of the material, but is not otherwise difficult.It should be noted that while most of the above solutions mention chemically changing the material into a non-problem compound as an option for disposal, in reality, the expense of doing so is usually prohibitive. In many cases, it is not practical to sort the materials enough to allow for custom chemical treatment. In other cases, the cost of the process to do the conversion is extremely high or has severe environmental side-effects. Mostly, however, we simply don't know how to chemically adjust the waste into something safe.Note that many (most) of the problems associated with the disposal of nuclear waste also apply to the disposal of any of the myriad of industrial chemicals in common use in any industrialized society. Indeed, the actual danger posed by the use of industrial chemicals is considerably larger than that of nuclear waste, due to two factors: (1) industrial chemicals are used/transported/disposed of on a vastly grander scale than any nuclear material (several million times the amount of chemicals are used vs nuclear materials) and (2) industrial chemicals are handled (and disposed of) with far less care than nuclear materials. In addition, in a pound-for-pound comparison, nuclear materials are not much more damaging to the environment than many industrial chemicals, and generally no more difficult to clean up (which is to say that both industrial chemicals and nuclear materials are difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to clean up, but neither is significantly more than the other).
Did Michael Jackson harm boys?
No he did not, people claimed he did but he didn't if you would watch his home videos you would know he could never hurt a soul.
In what way and why does waste harm the environment?
in what way and why doeswaste harm the environment?
Why do supporters of nuclear energy say that it can help the environment?
It produces a very small amount of waste, and no pollution. The waste can often be re-used so that it doesn't harm the environment. However, it doesn't help the environment; it just harms it less.
Does hazardous waste harm the environment?
yess obviously
How does nuclear waste cause land pollution?
It would cause pollution because it would harm men or animals using the land, and would contaminate food produced on the land. However this is not allowed to happen, nuclear waste is carefully controlled and confined to waste stores designed for the purpose
What harm does nuclear power plant give the environment when it transforms into energy?
For one, Nuclear power can harm aquatic life, harm humans with enough radiation, destroy drinking water, and harm the air.
How do you care for environment?
Reduce Waste, Reuse Items That May Harm The Environment, And Recycle Plastics, Metals etc.
What are the advantages and harm of the silicon in the environment?
If you are the president what is your action plant to eliminate the harm or waste? (Create a real platform or an action plan that is feasible and realistic)
What are some safety issues dealing with nuclear waste?
ALWAYS wear protective clothing and a mask over your mouth and nose. Also, if you can, wear protective glasses too as the energy from the nuclear waste is very powerful and could harm you.
What kind of toxic waste is produced near nuclear energy?
It is produced by the product of a nuclear plant by the uranium turning waste/gunk radioactive and the gunk flowing through waste pipes and having a black tint -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Actually Uranium gets split into Barium and Krypton along with release of immense heat energy. These by products are highly radioactive. These would emit harmful gamma radiations. These are considered as nuclear waste. Some innovative techniques have to be found so as to recycle these without any harm. Definitely human brain would catch that soon.
What are the environmental hazard of nuclear reactor?
poda
How does unleaded petrol harm the environment?
When it is created, hazardous waste from the refinery that does it will be disposed of into the environment. When it is burned in an automobile or other engine, it produces greenhouse gasses which harm the o-zone layer and decrease the quality of the air around us.
What is true about hazardous waste?
When waste is able to cause significant harm to people, property or the environment, it is considered to be "hazardous waste" and is treated with greater care than regular old garbage.
