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23.

Can nuclear waste seep into groundwater?

It is an analysed risk, not an ignored one.

The possible migration through groundwater is one of the central points in repository safety assessments. For this reason, solidified waste, engineered containers, buffer materials, and selected geological formations are used. IAEA standards require long-term analyses precisely to verify that future exposure remains within acceptable limits. There is no magic guarantee, but neither is there a simple 'everything seeps through'.