Distinguishing Nuclear Waste from Radioactive Waste: Are They the Same?

The terms nuclear waste and radioactive waste are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle yet important distinction between the two. This article aims to clarify these differences and explore various related issues, highlighting their implications for public health and environmental safety.

Understanding the Terminology

The terms nuclear waste and radioactive waste are sometimes used as synonyms, but they have different contexts and connotations. Nuclear waste generally refers to materials that were once part of a nuclear reactor, while radioactive waste can include items and materials that have been exposed to other contaminating forms of radiation.

Radiation and Uranium

While nuclear waste is inherently radioactive, not all radioactive waste is considered nuclear. A significant factor in radioactive waste is uranium. As the Earth has only half the amount of uranium it had during its formation, approximately 39 percent, the vast majority of this uranium has converted into lead through a 14-step process. Uranium engages in continuous high-energy nuclear disintegrations, with radium being a key intermediate.

Title: The Role of Uranium in Radioactive Wastes

Uranium-238, a byproduct of this process, leads to the production of radium. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine highlighted the issue of radiation-contaminated water extracted from oil and gas extraction. This water, which is more radioactive than the water from Fukushima's nuclear power plant, is often sprayed on unpaved roads, posing significant environmental and health hazards.

Historical Precedents and Current Concerns

The New York Times reported in 1990 on the radiation levels present in oil-and-gas equipment, which exposed workers to levels comparable to or even higher than those in nuclear power plants. Despite this alarming information, there has been a silence over the past three decades, which the author attributes to the radioactive nature of this waste and its continued high-energy nuclear disintegrations.

Phosphate Rock and Uranium

Phosphate rock, a major crop fertilizer, typically contains 0.01 percent uranium by weight. If uranium were extracted from this phosphate rock, it could provide more energy than natural gas at a lower cost. This discovery could fundamentally change how crops are fertilized and how energy is produced. However, the decision to extract uranium from phosphate rock remains contentious, as it could both cancel natural gas tax revenues and potentially violate legal limits on uranium in fertilizers.

Hydrogen and Nuclear Reactors

Another significant issue concerns potential large-scale radioactive waste in non-nuclear applications. For instance, there are instances where nuclear reactors, when serving as spaceships or powering governmental vessels, are not mentioned as sources of nuclear waste. Similarly, plutonium-238, a highly radioactive material, can be launched without significant controversy, despite its higher radioactivity levels.

Conclusion

The distinction between nuclear waste and radioactive waste is crucial for understanding the nuanced issues surrounding waste management, public health, and environmental safety. While not all radioactive waste is nuclear, the potential risks and impacts of these materials cannot be understated.