How does S/S treat radioactivity?
Although, S/S does provide additional shielding of radioactivity immobilized within contaminated material, S/S does not reduce radioactivity of a material contaminated with radionuclides. The principle action of S/S on radioactive wastes is to physically immobilize the radionuclides within the treated material. Immobilization of the radioactive material prevents release of those materials into the environment. Over time the level of radioactivity emitted from the immobilized radionuclides reduces itself through a process of radioactive decay. Radionuclides decay at a fixed rate, unaffected by factors such as temperature or pressure. The fixed rate of decay is described by the “half life,” which is the time required for half of the atoms of a given radionuclide to decay into a decay product. The decay product may still be radioactive and will in turn continue to decay. The decay product may have a shorter or longer half life than the originating radionuclide.
