Q.What is meant by vitrification of high-level radioactive waste? Why is this technique used?

Radioactive waste is generated by nuclear power plants, which were once regarded as a clean, non-polluting way to generate electricity but carry two serious inherent risks: the possibility of accidental leakage (as occurred at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl) and the ongoing challenge of safely disposing of the waste itself.

Radiation emitted by nuclear waste damages living organisms by causing mutations at an unusually high rate; at high doses it is directly lethal, while at lower doses it commonly causes disorders, most frequently cancer. Because of this, nuclear waste is treated as an especially potent and dangerous pollutant. The recommended disposal …