Answer to Question #73478 in Atomic and Nuclear Physics for Adnan Rafi

Question

which would generate more radioactive waste products a fission reactor or a fusion reactor?

Answer 1

Fission reactor generate more radioactive waste products compare to the fusion reactor. As we know, Uranium used as a fuel in the fission reactor. During the fission the Uranium splits into the lighter nuclei which, in turn, unstable and during the radioactive decay produces radioactive waste products with long half-live (millions of years).
The fusion is the nuclear reaction in which two atoms combines and create a single atom (for example, deuterium – tritium reaction in which two atoms of hydrogen forms the atom of helium and a neutron). During fusion reaction the neutrons bombard the walls of fusion reactor and they become more and more radioactive, until we replace them. But, eventually, the fusion reactor will produce much less radioactive waste products compare to the fission reactor.