Spent Fuel
Spent fuel is the nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor and is no longer capable of sustaining a chain reaction. It is highly radioactive and thermally hot, and requires careful handling, transportation, and storage. Spent fuel contains a variety of radioactive isotopes, including plutonium and other transuranic elements, which pose a significant risk to human health and the environment. The management of spent fuel is a critical aspect of nuclear power generation, and involves a range of technical, regulatory, and political challenges. The most common method of managing spent fuel is to store it in specially designed containers, either on-site at the nuclear power plant or at a centralized storage facility. Another option is to reprocess the spent fuel to extract usable materials, such as plutonium, which can be used as fuel in other reactors. However, reprocessing is controversial due to concerns about nuclear proliferation and the potential for accidents or terrorist attacks.
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