Nuclear Waste Disposal: Short-Term Solution, Long-Term Problem
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Student Year and Major
2026 Aeronautical Science
Presentation Description/Abstract
Ever since the world's first nuclear reactor came online in 1942, the resulting nuclear waste has needed to be safely stored in order to protect the public from the effects of the radiation coming off of it. As a solution, governments and organizations have been storing the nuclear waste underground, though Japan has recently started dumping irradiated water into the ocean from Fukushima. The waste is stored underground under strict conditions as any leak can result in harm to the surrounding environment and people. This brings up the question of whether current methods of nuclear storage are safe and viable. To research this, I conducted a literature review of nuclear waste protocols and safety reports because they are directly addressing the problem; one source was the US Government Accountability Office which talked about the basics of nuclear waste disposal. These sources said that nuclear waste takes a long time to lose their radioactivity before it can be deemed "safe," and the risk of the waste leaking is always a possibility. Another source I consulted was Rachel Carson's Silent Spring as the issue of poison being dumped into the ground, similarly to how nuclear waste is stored. In summary, nuclear waste disposal is a dangerous field as any tiny leak could result in the radiation leaking out into the environment. Underground disposal is a temporary solution as we will eventually run out of room to store them safely.
Keywords
nuclear, waste disposal, environment, radiation, storage, long-term, short-term
Nuclear Waste Disposal: Short-Term Solution, Long-Term Problem
Ever since the world's first nuclear reactor came online in 1942, the resulting nuclear waste has needed to be safely stored in order to protect the public from the effects of the radiation coming off of it. As a solution, governments and organizations have been storing the nuclear waste underground, though Japan has recently started dumping irradiated water into the ocean from Fukushima. The waste is stored underground under strict conditions as any leak can result in harm to the surrounding environment and people. This brings up the question of whether current methods of nuclear storage are safe and viable. To research this, I conducted a literature review of nuclear waste protocols and safety reports because they are directly addressing the problem; one source was the US Government Accountability Office which talked about the basics of nuclear waste disposal. These sources said that nuclear waste takes a long time to lose their radioactivity before it can be deemed "safe," and the risk of the waste leaking is always a possibility. Another source I consulted was Rachel Carson's Silent Spring as the issue of poison being dumped into the ground, similarly to how nuclear waste is stored. In summary, nuclear waste disposal is a dangerous field as any tiny leak could result in the radiation leaking out into the environment. Underground disposal is a temporary solution as we will eventually run out of room to store them safely.