New technique could reduce volume of nuclear waste, make it safer

Researchers at a British university say the volume of nuclear waste could be reduced by 90 percent for more efficient and safer disposal. Scientist in the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Engineering report mixing plutonium-contaminated waste with blast furnace slag and turning it into glass to reduce its volume by 85-95 percent. The technique also effectively locks in the radioactive plutonium, creating a stable, safer end product, the researchers said in a university release Wednesday. "The overall volume of plutonium contaminated wastes from operations and decommissioning in the United Kingdom could be upwards of 31,000 cubic meters [1.09 million cubic feet], enough to fill the clock tower of Big Ben seven times over," lead researcher Neil Hyatt said. "Our process would reduce this waste volume to fit neatly within the confines of just one Big Ben tower." The current disposal strategy for plutonium-contaminated wastes involves cement encapsulation, a process which typically increases the overall volume, he said. "If we can reduce the volume of waste that eventually needs to be stored and buried underground, we can reduce the costs considerably," Hyatt said. "At the same time, our process can stabilize the plutonium in a more corrosion resistant material, so this should improve the safety case and public acceptability of geological disposal." The technique could also be used to treat large volumes of mixed wastes such as those generated by the eventual cleanup of the damaged Fukushima plant in Japan, the researchers said.