Dhaka, Oct. 30 -- Nuclear waste is a radioactive byproduct of nuclear fission. Nuclear fission is a process when one atom of a fuel used in nuclear power plants splits in tiny particles. For example, a commonly used nuclear fuel is uranium, which splits in two fission byproducts. The atomic nuclei of these two byproducts are highly unstable. This means that they keep losing their energy in the form of radiation (that is what makes them radioactive).

How much nuclear waste is produced?

We are exposed to radiation every day. On average, more than 2,000 metric tons of spent fuel is generated every year from nuclear power plants . This amount only adds up to the global long-term nuclear waste storage problem. In the United States alone, 90,...