Levels of Radioactive Waste
High Level Waste (HLW)
- also known as heat-generating waste
- consists mainly of concentrated liquid nitric acid
product from the reprocessing of spent nuclear
fuel
Intermediate Level Waste (ILW)
- consists mainly of metals, with smaller quantities
of organic materials, inorganic sludges, cement,
graphite, glass and ceramics
- mainly arises from the dismantling and reprocessing
of spent fuel and from the general operation of nuclear
plants
Low Level Waste (LLW)
- includes metals (redundant equipment) and organic
materials (laboratory equipment, clothing and paper
towels)
- the organic materials mainly come from areas where
radioactive materials are used, e.g. hospitals and
research establishments
Very Low Level Waste (VLLW)
- covers waste with very low concentrations of
radioactivity
- mainly arises from hospitals and non-nuclear
industry