Nuclear environment and waste

Safe clean-up, management and disposal of the nuclear legacy of contaminated materials, contaminated sites and radioactive wastes presents a significant global challenge.

Our research focuses on solving key challenges in environmental radioactivity research in both engineered and natural environments.

Examples include:

• Understanding the biogeochemical behaviour of radionuclides in contaminated land and radioactive waste disposal scenarios.
• Defining how radionuclides behave in radioactive effluent treatment including effluents from the recycling of spent nuclear fuel and fuel storage pond liquors.
• Exploring how radionuclides contaminate surfaces during fuel cycle operations and the most effective methods for decontaminating these materials.
• Determining how waste packages will perform over extended timescales relevant to storage and disposal.
• Application of life cycle investigations to industrial systems.

We apply cross-cutting and state-of-the-art research skills and expertise, deploying the highest quality physical, chemical and biological science research, coupled with modern analysis techniques and modelling approaches.

Recognised as a leading organisation in the UK for nuclear environment and waste research, our award-winning research underpins real-world research impact at nuclear facilities. Our multidisciplinary molecular environmental science approach has enhanced our understanding of the behaviour of radionuclides and materials within the complex environmental systems relevant to nuclear cleanup and radioactive waste disposal.

We are funded by both UK Research and Innovation and industry (e.g. Nuclear Waste Services, Sellafield Ltd.) and lead the Nuclear Waste Services Research Support Office (NWS RSO), the NDA Plutonium Hub and the Sellafield Effluent and Decontamination Centre of Expertise (SEDCoE) in collaboration with key University partners. A key feature of our research is the close collaboration between academic and industry subject matter experts to define research which underpins real-world nuclear environmental challenges.

Our combined efforts with funding partners and industry stakeholders underpin the safe and cost-efficient cleanup of nuclear facilities and the disposal of radioactive wastes.

More information

More information

The following research groups and facilities work within the nuclear environment and waste field:

• Centre for Radiochemistry Research (CRR)
• NEST Facility
• NWS Research Support Office (NWS RSO)
• Pu Ceramics Hub
• RADioactive waste management and Environmental Remediation
• SEDCoE
• TEM ALPHA and nuclear materials analysis labs Fuels and Irradiated Materials Platform
• Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science

Some of our environment and waste research work takes place at the Dalton Cumbrian Facility.

We host the Nuclear Waste Services Research Support Office (NWS RSO).

Case study showing how we’ve monitored radiation in disposed-of nuclear waste for years.

A case study showing how we have directly improved radioactive effluent treatment working with our industry partners at Sellafield.