The radium source is just one piece of the vast cleanup puzzle at Oak Ridge. The site contends with significant amounts of transuranic waste – radioactive elements heavier than uranium, primarily byproducts of historical research activities at ORNL.
Global efforts toward radioactive waste management
Scientists across the globe are actively looking for ways to tackle the issue of radioactive waste.
Recently, Sweden announced that it was constructing a final storage facility for its spent nuclear fuel. This repository is expected to be located 500 meters below ground in solid bedrock.
According to officials, the facility will safely store highly radioactive waste for 100,000 years.