What are the waste products of nuclear power?

Answer 1

It creates nuclear waste that can stay radioactive for thousands of years. The result is that it has to be buried in a hole at least 1 mile deep. The fission process yields neutrons, gamma rays, and radioactive elements which can also emit neutrons, alpha particles, beta rays, gamma rays, x-rays, and positrons.

Answer 2

We generally consider nuclear fission as the "splitting" of atoms. In this process, a large atomic nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei. The smaller nuclei are called fission fragments, and they are radioactive. Making nuclear energy, which we do in nuclear reactors, results in the production of large quantities of highly radioactive fission products. These byproducts require that we cool the spent fuel for long periods, and also that we store it for centuries so that the radioactive materials have a chance to decay and become less hazardous.

Answer 3

Principally the fission products which are contained in the used fuel rods. There are much less active products from chemical treatment of the coolant water, and very minor amounts from used clothing etc.

Answer 4

There are two types of waste products from the production of power from nuclear energy. First, there is low level waste, consisting of things such as cooling water, clothing, tools, and anything else that has been exposed.

The more difficult waste products of nuclear energy are in the spent fuel. This material is very radioactive.

Spent fuel is far more dangerous than fresh fuel, even though it cannot give off enough heat to power a plant. The by-products of nuclear fission are much more intensely radioactive than uranium, but they do not give off anything close to the same amount of heat. This is because the amount of power derived from the fission of a uranium atom is a very large multiple of the amount of power that comes from the alpha, beta, or gamma decay in the spent fuel, and the uranium undergoes fission far faster in a reactor than outside one.

There is a link to a Wikipedia article on radioactive waste below.

Answer 5

Fission products. The plutonium and other transuranics should not be considered waste and should be recycled as they make excellent reactor fuel.

You also have induced radioactivity in components of the reactor exposed to neutrons, but these will not be waste until the reactor is retired and dismantled.

This is likely to be censored as some anti-nuclear energy people don't want some of this known.