Environment > Pollution > Nuclear waste efficiency: Countries Compared
Author: Edria Murray, Staff Editor
<p>As this statistic indicates the amount of <b>waste</b> produced per unit of energy, a
<b>lower</b> efficiency value is more desirable.</p>
<p>Nuclear waste is an environmental concern as radioactivity can cause serious health
effects including: cancers, birth defects, sterility, genetic damage and lowered immunity to
diseases especially at high levels of exposure. </p>
<p>Nuclear waste is highly radioactive and needs to be isolated from people and the
enviroment for around 10 000 years. After this time the radiation level has reduced and the
waste is considered safe. Spent fuel is usually contained in concrete or steel containers,
or in cooling pools.</p>
<p>Nuclear waste can be reprocessed to extract and recycle Uranium and Plutonium. Great
Britain, France, Japan and Germany currently reprocess some of their nuclear waste.</p>
<b>lower</b> efficiency value is more desirable.</p>
<p>Nuclear waste is an environmental concern as radioactivity can cause serious health
effects including: cancers, birth defects, sterility, genetic damage and lowered immunity to
diseases especially at high levels of exposure. </p>
<p>Nuclear waste is highly radioactive and needs to be isolated from people and the
enviroment for around 10 000 years. After this time the radiation level has reduced and the
waste is considered safe. Spent fuel is usually contained in concrete or steel containers,
or in cooling pools.</p>
<p>Nuclear waste can be reprocessed to extract and recycle Uranium and Plutonium. Great
Britain, France, Japan and Germany currently reprocess some of their nuclear waste.</p>
DEFINITION:
This is the amount of nuclear waste produced per unit of energy obtained. Energy obtained is measured in units equivalent to the energy obtained from using one million tons of oil. Data from 1998 or latest available year. "Nuclear Waste" is waste from spent fuel arising in nuclear power plants, measured in terms of heavy metal.
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<b>lower</b> efficiency value is more desirable.</p>
<p>Nuclear waste is an environmental concern as radioactivity can cause serious health
effects including: cancers, birth defects, sterility, genetic damage and lowered immunity to
diseases especially at high levels of exposure. </p>
<p>Nuclear waste is highly radioactive and needs to be isolated from people and the
enviroment for around 10 000 years. After this time the radiation level has reduced and the
waste is considered safe. Spent fuel is usually contained in concrete or steel containers,
or in cooling pools.</p>
<p>Nuclear waste can be reprocessed to extract and recycle Uranium and Plutonium. Great
Britain, France, Japan and Germany currently reprocess some of their nuclear waste.</p>
Posted on 03 Feb 2005
Edria Murray, Staff Editor
