GENERAL 
Health Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal 
The problem of disposal of waste fission products differs 
little from those met in large scale industrial waste disposal. 
It has the peculiarity of not being susceptible to biological or 
oxidative Mee Oe With a non radioactive toxic material, 
the toxicity increases as the concentration increases and mass action 
phenomena operate more effectively to remove the material. However, 
with radioactive wastes the toxicity is essentially unrelated to the 
coneentration of the va The radioactive waste problem is 
like other industrial waste problems in one respect: production is 
not stopped because wastes are evolved. In industry, many alternatives 
must be considered, not only for the process as related to possible 
wastes, but also for the types of possible treatment for the wastes. 
It should be kept in mind that the waste problem applies to 
domestic operations and to habitation generally. In practically 
every large city space for the cheap disposal of waste is strictly 
(27) 
limited, and becoming scarce. 
Two Possible Methods of Disposal: It becomes necessary to seek 
out new types of treatment or disposal. For example, in the caee of 
the Brookhaven National Laboratory, the radioactive waste output is 
not high (thousands of curies per year) but the disposal problem is 
most serious. These wastes cannot be discharged into the ground 
because the ground water is shallow and supplies the neighborhood. 
The nearness Bede Atlantic Ocean to BNL is a great advantage and 
(7) 
immediately suggests sea disposal. 
*Note- See key to speakers on page 79. 
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