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Radioactive Waste Vs Nuclear Waste

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’s not a physical difference between the two pollutants. The difference is how the two different wastes are treated when we clean them up and the effect they can have on the earth and its inhabitants. That’s why it is necessary that more eco-friendly ways are discovered to recycle or clean the electronic and radioactive waste to dispel them and, their harmful effects out of our ecosystems. In today's society we have lots of new technology that’s replacing the older versions, which makes approximately, 20 (TO DO) to 50 million metric tons of e-waste per year. ( cite) The US alone produces nearly 10 million tons, depending on the year, that could be half of the end amount for the entire year. The aspect that makes this such a widespread …show more content…

But what multiplies the deadly potency of radioactive waste, is the amount of waste that exists in the world today. As of today, there are 449 active nuclear reactors in the world. The world produces around 2,000 tons of nuclear waste annually. The only good part about nuclear waste is that it naturally breaks down over time, through a process called radioactive decay. Like electronic waste, radioactive waste is extremely dangerous to anyone who comes in contact with it. When a site becomes contaminated with radioactive material,that certain area can’t be inhabited safely by any living …show more content…

Radioactive waste is too dangerous to handle most of the time. Radioactive material has three different levels to it’s severity. There’s high level, medium level, and low level radioactive material. High and medium level is a radioactive byproduct from nuclear fission or nuclear technology. While low level can be a decayed version of high and medium level, it can also be a rubber glove that was used to handle the waste. The only you can safely recycle radioactive waste is to wait. When radioactive waste is first formed, and it’s at its peak for radioactiveness, its stored in great underground warehouses. Why? Because the entire building is concrete, so if somehow one of the barrels of radioactive waste tips and spills its contents out, it won’t contaminate the ground at all, compared to if it was spilled on the surface of the earth. Eventually, after the waste decays for a period of time the waste will eventually become safer to handle and whatever became contaminated could be

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When the nuclei of Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239 undergo nuclear fission, they produce waste as a by-product, which is known as nuclear waste or “fission fragments”. (Leslie Corrice, 2015) This waste contains radioisotopes, which are radioactive isotopes that have long half-lives. This means that the radioisotopes are able to stay in the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of years, which is extremely hazardous to the earth’s environment. Very commonly this waste contaminates water and ruins the quality of both air and soil, which in turn devastates the planet.

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Moreover, radioactive materials and their equipment are only used in the authorized areas in the hospital. The occupational dose for the worker must not exceed 6 mSv/year.

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Nuclear waste should be stored at Yucca Mountain. There are many positive reasons of why the waste should be stored on Yucca Mountain, such as the fact that no one lives on Yucca Mountain. There has not been an recent earthquake on the mountain. There is also the fact that it does not rain a lot on the mountain. So this is why nuclear waste should be stored on Yucca Mountain.

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721 Words | 3 Pages

In Richard A. Muller’s “Nuclear Waste”, he discusses the problem with left over nuclear waste and how it is causing headaches for scientists and politicians. The University of California at Berkeley professor agrees that nuclear waste does present a threat to our well being, but also states that society assumes there is a much larger danger than actually exists. Muller does a great job at proving his point by explaining how nuclear waste is not a forever lasting danger and by also providing alternative methods of storing the waste. Regardless of whether one supports the development of nukes, Muller mentions that this waste already exists and a solution must be made for it.

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286 Words | 2 Pages

In “Nuclear Waste” by Richard A. Muller, he expresses his concerns about radioactive material in Yucca Mountain that will be left behind for thousands of years and the unfamiliar dangers that we face. He starts by stating that nuclear waste is one of the biggest issues that our government faces even though they highly follow their “safe” nuclear waste disposal. He stresses how the government prototype nuclear waste facility at Yucca Mountain is supposed to be so safe, but they built it on a site that was created by volcanic activity. Scientist have contemplated many different ways to dispose of nuclear waste, but they all seem like the worse than their previous ideas and some still are considering more nuclear power. After his intense evaluation

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Nuclear fission occurs when an atom splits and releases energy. Nuclear fission is cheap and produces more energy than fossil fuels, but it releases hazardous waste. Another method of using energy must be found. Enter nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is the exact opposite of fission, in which two atoms join together.

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Nuclear power produces fewer carbon emissions than traditional energy sources because energy is not produced by burning molecules but splitting atoms. ‘An energy mix including nuclear power has the lowest impact on wildlife and Ecosystems’ as shown by a Conservation Biology paper. Consequently, greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by nearly half which shows the benefits and popularity of nuclear power use. Nuclear power has many environmental benefits such as small waste production, leaves no adverse effect on water, land or any habitats. By reducing fossil fuel consumption and switching to Nuclear Energy, we will sustain the environment, quality of air, improving the overall quality of

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If the environment was exposed to even a relatively small nuclear weapon, studies show that devastating effects would take place against the world’s climate and decade long lasting effects on the ecosystems of the Earth. A small perception that can be used to see the effects of nuclear energy being exposed to the environment is the Chernobyl Disaster of 1986. To this day, there are still no inhabitants of the exposed areas inside Chernobyl, Ukraine, as those exposed can experience heavy vulnerabilities to cancer, diseases, and death. Just from the small accident in Chernobyl, there are still modern effects of the disaster. Things like birth defects, sights of mutated organisms, and sicknesses are still reported as a result from the mass leak of radiation.

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Effective marketing is a major facet of any flourishing company. By understanding consumer behaviors, which are a blend of "psychology, sociology, social anthropology, marketing and economics,” companies have the ability to ploy consumers into marketing tactics, to make fortunes off consumers psychological tendencies"” (Dickenson, “Consumer Behavior”). Unfortunately, thoughtless marketing is the least bit of the consumers worries. Selling unnecessarily products, or creating products that aren’t designed to last, are destroying environments in third world countries, a fact rarely noticed by consumers. By selling unnecessary products to consumers, companies are creating an unsustainable amount of waste, filled with all kinds of toxins, while

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Richard A. Muller a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, expresses his concerns on the subject of nuclear waste. In his essay, Nuclear Waste, he writes about where the United States stores its nuclear waste, alternative ways to dispose of the waste and whether it would be effective. He also talks about how dangerous the nuclear by-product is, and other dangers regarding civilian’s safety. He effectively explains his concerns through pathos, logos, ethos, and other uses of examples to help readers understand his concerns. He attracts readers by talking about the future generation and their safety against potential nuclear waste contamination.

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“Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It’s a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other.” As Eric Burdon said, we have the potential for both good and evil, but it isn’t fixed at birth. People cannot be born with a bad heart, they do not start on the “ the dark side” so to say.

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Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion are reactions that release energy because of the high-powered atomic bonds between the particles in the nucleus. To understand fission and fusion reactions, we must first understand the difference between them. In a fission reaction, a massive nucleus is split in the form of gamma rays, free neutrons and other subatomic particles. In a fusion reaction, two nuclei combine to form a new element that contains more protons in the nucleus (higher atomic number). Those are the basic definitions of the fusion and fission reactions.

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Nuclear energy may be the solution that eliminates our concern for energy production in the future, but it still remains a huge issue for the environment. Despite its wide use in many developed countries, nuclear energy poses many threats to both the

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One cannot deny that some nuclear waste is produced and that it is radioactive. However, according to the World Nuclear Association in many countries, nuclear waste accounts for just 1% of all toxic wastes. This means that only a small amount of waste is produced and it would be easy to contain. Furthermore, the BBC states that you are able to reprocess nuclear waste and reuse up to 97% of it. This means that waste can be reduced even further and that that supplies of Uranium can be sustained for longer.

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If nuclear weapons were ever used again it could wipe out all of humanity. The United States created the first nuclear weapon in 1945, and with those nuclear weapons they bombed two Japanese cities called Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nuclear Weapons should be banned, Countries should not have weapons that could wipe out the civilization. Nuclear weapons pose a direct threat to everyone. They cause distrust among nations and they are useless in addressing any of today 's real security threats.

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