Russian scientists discover bacteria that neutralize nuclear waste

According to a report on the Russian satellite network on the 8th, Russian scientists found a bacteria that neutralizes nuclear waste in a nuclear waste storage facility in Siberia. This unique bacteria is expected to be used to create a natural barrier against the spread of radionuclides.

Researchers at the Froomkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and the Federal Center for Biotechnology Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences have isolated such microorganisms that can be used to protect the surrounding environment from liquid radioactive waste.

They discovered the above-mentioned bacteria during a groundwater microbial study of the deep radiation burial site in the Seversk region of the Tomsk region of Siberia. The area stores liquid radioactive waste from the Siberian Chemical Union, which is mainly used to manufacture nuclear fuel. Low enriched uranium for reprocessing.

The study was published in the latest issue of the Russian scientific journal Radioactive Waste. Research shows that this bacterium can make radionuclide ions (including ions found in uranium and thorium) "not active", thus preventing danger. Radiation spreads into the surrounding environment, and scientists can precisely adjust the environment needed for bacterial work.

Researchers say their findings are the first step in creating biogeochemical barriers for radionuclides that can be used in deep-buried areas containing liquid radioactive waste.

Since the 1980s, scientists have been working on microbial tools that limit the effects of nuclear waste, and pointed out that microbial processes must be considered in projects that bury and store nuclear waste.