ABSTRACT
Before the discovery of nuclear fission and its utilization as a source of energy, the disposal of radioactive waste did not present a significant problem. It has been estimated that the total quantity of radioactivity in use in research and medicine in 1938 was less than 30 TBq, corresponding to about 1 kg of radium derived from natural sources. Today, a single large power-generating reactor may contain in excess of 108 TBq of fission products and there are more than 400 power reactors in the world. With the increasing emphasis on protection of the environment, the management of waste has become an important factor in both the economics and the public acceptability of nuclear power.
