Cement Gives a Concrete Solution to Nuclear Waste Disposal

Cement Gives a Concrete Solution to Nuclear Waste Disposal

The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines hazardous waste as material harmful to human health and the environment, because it contaminates the air, water, and soil. Some of the methods used to eliminate the hazardous effects include incineration, landfills, underground injection wells, and solidification of radioactive materials in cement. Out of the above methods, the solidification of radioactive material in cement was analyzed to be the greenest method to prevent hazardous waste from harming the environment. The solidification of radioactive material in cement reduces the ability of waste from leaching out into the environment by stabilizing the liquid cement using an alkaline activator. The stabilized cement can then be stored in landfills and used for construction purposes without harming the environment.