ABSTRACT
Mixed wastes contain both radioactive and hazardous wastes. Almost all of the commercially generated mixed waste is composed of low-level radioactive waste and hazardous waste and is called low-level mixed waste or sometimes, mixed low-level waste. Commercial mixed waste volumes are very small compared to the volume of mixed waste being generated or stored by the Department of Energy (DOE). There are three main types of mixed waste being produced or stored at DOE facilities, low-level, high-level, and transuranic. Mixed wastes are generated in every state in the United States, at all federal facilities working with nuclear materials, and at many hospitals, universities, and private facilities. The National Laboratories along with other organizations are continuing to develop methodologies to encapsulate and package mixed wastes for ultimate disposal. The Environmental and Waste Management Group at Brookhaven National Laboratories has been developing and characterizing innovative thermosetting polymers for waste management use for many decades.
