What strategy is used to isolate waste?
The principle followed in storing all kinds of waste in waste dumps is to isolate them from the human environment by providing a system of barriers between them and us to prevent them from ever returning, or to minimize the risks to practically zero in the event of return, although this is highly improbable. This is called confinement. In the case of radioactive waste, the system of barriers should retain its effectiveness until the radioactivity has decreased through radioactive decay to the levels set by competent authorities. Thus, in this case, the concept of perpetuity that applies to many conventional wastes is eliminated. At present, the strategy to be followed for final or long-term storage of radioactive waste, i.e. for definitive confinement, is internationally admitted and typified. The danger to avoid is that rainwater or undergound water could eventually come into contact with the radwaste, dissolve some of the radionuclides present and convey them to the human environment
