The current interest in nontraditional methods for the generation of hydrogen has prompted a revisit of radiolytic splitting of water, where the interaction of various types of ionizing radiation (α, β, and γ) with water produces molecular hydrogen. This reevaluation was further prompted by the current availability of large amounts of radiation sources contained in the fuel discharged from nuclear reactors. This spent fuel is usually stored in water pools, awaiting permanent disposal or reprocessing. The yield of hydrogen resulting from the irradiation of water with β and γ radiation is low (G-values = <1 molecule per 100 electronvolts of absorbed energy) but this is largely due to the rapid reassociation of the species arising during the initial radiolysis. If impurities are present or if physical conditions are created that prevent the establishment of a chemical equilibrium, the net production of hydrogen can be greatly enhanced.
Another approach uses radioactive waste as an energy source for regeneration of spent fuel by converting sodium borate into sodium borohydride. By applying the proper combination of controls, stable borohydride compounds may be produced and used as hydrogen fuel storage medium.
A study conducted in 1976 found an order-of-magnitude estimate can be made of the average hydrogen production rate that could be obtained by utilizing the energy liberated via radioactive decay. Based on the primary molecular hydrogen yield of 0.45 molecules/100 eV, it would be possible to obtain 10 tons per day. Hydrogen production rates in this range are not insignificant, but are small compared with the average daily usage (1972) of hydrogen in the U.S. of about 2 x 10^4 tons. Addition of a hydrogen-atom donor could increase this about a factor of six. It was shown that the addition of a hydrogen-atom donor such as formic acid enhances the G value for hydrogen to about 2.4 molecules per 100 eV absorbed.  The same study concluded that designing such a facility would likely be too unsafe to be feasible.