Nuclear waste

This article gives a general review of the state of the art in the field of nuclear waste production and management. The article reviews the origin of nuclear radiation, the effects of radiation on the structure of matter and living organisms, the natural and artificial sources of radiation, and radiation protection. An overview of the different sources of radioactive waste is given. Particular emphasis is laid on the amount of nuclear waste that is produced by nuclear power plants, the conditioning of the waste arising, and its storage in geological repositories. Special attention is paid to the Belgian nuclear waste management programme. (A.S.)