low-level waste

British  

noun

1. waste material contaminated by traces of radioactivity that can be disposed of in steel drums in concrete-lined trenches but not (since 1983) in the sea Compare high-level waste intermediate-level waste

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Example Sentences

Operators of fusion plants will need to handle small amounts of tritium—a short-lived radioactive isotope of hydrogen—and safely dispose of low-level waste consisting of reactor parts made radioactive by fusion reactions.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 19, 2023

The delays have pushed the Energy Department to adopt an alternative that would start treating low-level waste by the end of 2023, Washington State officials said.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2021

The company’s state licenses to accept low-level waste were approved in 2007 and 2008 despite opposition from local environmental groups.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2021

Low-level waste can include equipment or worker’s clothing contaminated by exposure to radiation, while mixed low-level waste can include toxic metals.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 9, 2021

After an investigation, Los Alamos voluntarily suspended its shipment of low-level waste to Nevada.

From Scientific American • Jun. 27, 2017