Antinuclear

A mixed “blessing” for Australia in radiation cleanup breakthrough

It is comforting that Queensland’s Professor Zhu tells us that radiation cleanup will still be needed, even if the world abandons nuclear power.   In that case, it is good that Australia might provide other parts of the world with a technology to help in this.

On the other hand,  Professor Zhu tells us “we have the technology to do the cleaning up for the world.”   This is far from comforting, especially when we realise that the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation is involved.     ANSTO is well known as a promoter of nuclear technology.  There are some in Australia, like John White, Ron Walker and Robert Champion de Crespigny,   and others – who would just love to make several $billion out of importing foreign nuclear wastes into Australia.

This new “radiation absorbent’ might be just the technology they want?   – Christina Macpherson

Breakthrough to help clean up contaminated water, Brisbane Time s, 2 Nov 11 Brisbane scientists have helped developed an intelligent absorbent, which they hope will solve the problem of how to clean up water contaminated with radioactive waste. The research team believes the technology will benefit industries rangingfrom mining to medicine, plus assist in clean-up efforts after nuclear disasters.

One gram of the absorbent can “effectively purify at least one tonne of polluted water”, according to Professor Huai-Yong Zhu from Queensland University of Technology Chemistry. The absorbent, developed in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and Pennsylvania State University in the United States, effectively locks in the dangerous radioactive material and extracts it from the water.

It uses titanate nanofibre and nanotube technology. Professor Zhu said the technology would run the contaminated water through fine nanotubes and fibres, trapping radioactive ions.

The absorbent could then be safely disposed without the risk of leakage, even if the material became wet. “This saves large amounts of dangerous water needing to be stored somewhere and also prevents the risk of contaminated products leaking into the soil,” Professor Zhu said……Even if we decide that nuclear energy is not the way we want to go, we will still need to clean-up what’s been produced so far and store it safely.

“Australia is one of the largest producers of titania that are the raw materials used for fabricating the absorbents of titanate nanofibres and nanotubes. Now with the knowledge to produce the absorbents, we have the technology to do the cleaning up for the world.”

  http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/breakthrough-to-help-clean-up-contaminated-water-20111031-1mrom.html#ixzz1cmphoKqI

Christina Macpherson   It all might be rather fanciful anyway.  If you go to “comments” on this item, you will see a comment from a radiation expert, who throws cold water on the whole proposal, anyway, and wonders why, if it’s so great  “why this breakthrough is not on the front page of the IAEA “?

November 4, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Queensland, technology