Ydinjätehallinta

Ydinjätehallinta refers to the management of radioactive waste materials. This encompasses a range of activities designed to ensure the safety of people and the environment from the hazards associated with radioactive substances. The primary goal of ydinjätehallinta is to isolate radioactive waste from the biosphere until its radioactivity has decayed to a safe level. This process can take hundreds of thousands of years for some types of waste.

The management strategies employed depend on the type and level of radioactivity of the waste. Low-level waste, such as contaminated tools and protective clothing, typically requires less stringent containment. Intermediate-level waste, which may include resins, chemical sludges, and metal fuel cladding, requires more robust shielding and containment. High-level waste, generated primarily from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and from the fuel itself if not reprocessed, is the most radioactive and poses the greatest challenge. It generates significant heat and requires long-term isolation.

Spent nuclear fuel, if not reprocessed, is considered a type of high-level waste. Reprocessing separates usable uranium and plutonium from fission products, reducing the volume of high-level waste but creating separate waste streams.

Current ydinjätehallinta practices often involve interim storage in specially designed facilities, both above and below ground. The long-term solution for high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel is widely considered to be deep geological disposal, where waste is placed in stable rock formations kilometers beneath the Earth's surface. Several countries are actively developing or have already established such repositories, with Finland being a notable example. The principles of ydinjätehallinta are guided by international recommendations and national regulations to ensure safety throughout the waste lifecycle.