Resumen de Radioactivity, Radiation, and the Chemistry of Nuclear Waste
A chemistry course for nonmajors, which centers on the chemistry of nuclear waste, has as a prerequisite at least two semesters of general chemistry. The initial part of the course introduces a number of topics necessary to discuss the construction and operation of nuclear reactors. The focus is on isotope production, primarily, plutonium. In the second section, radiation chemistry is introduced, emphasizing the generation of primary radicals from the interaction of molecules with charged particles and the subsequent chemical reactions of these primary radicals. The final section of the course is devoted to the treatment of nuclear waste by vitrification and applications based on nuclear or radiation chemistry. Throughout, the course presents historical material related to nuclear sites operated by the U.S. government, particularly those that were involved in plutonium production. It deals with the high-level nuclear waste generated by the production process, the methods used to store the waste in the past, problems created by these methods, and some of the storage methods currently being considered for the future.
