9. Discuss briefly the following:
(a) Radioactive wastes
Radioactive Wastes-
These waste products include nonusable discards that possess radioactivity. Radioactive wastes are of three types:
1. Wastes with low-level radioactivity: include coolant water from atomic reactors, pond water for cooling spent fuel in reactors, etc. They emit very small amounts of radioactivity. Irradiation centres, radiotherapy units and laboratories also produce wastes with low radioactivity
2. Wastes with an intermediate level of radioactivity: These include radioactive wastes of many ores that are separated during the refinement of minerals.
3. Wastes with a high level of radioactivity: spent fuel from atomic reactors and leakage from reactors have a very high level of radioactivity.
The radioactive wastes have to be handled very carefully and should be dumped 500 m deep in the earth or inside the sea after placing them inside very thick, protective, closed containers. These wastes are highly dangerous to human beings, animals, microorganisms, etc. High doses cause mutations, and they can even be lethal.