What problems does nuclear waste pose?
From uranium mining to fuel reprocessing, all installations in the nuclear fuel cycle generate different types of waste, which call for specific management systems to avoid the exposure of workers and the public. The most significant issue regarding radioactive waste is the protection of future generations. At present, there is very little impact on workers and the public from radioactive waste, even from high level waste, which, without protection, could kill nearby people in a few minutes. The problem with these wastes is in the long term and the question is how radiation protection expertise will be passed to future generations. Problems will arise in the future if waste is abandoned without the knowledge of exactly where it is. The essential task, then, is how to maintain vigilance from generation to generation. The metallurgic and chemical industries, but also the agriculture industry, have dispersed potentially toxic substances into the environment for decades. Nowadays, there is
