Bacteria Live Happily in Nuclear Waste

unassimilatible writes "Scientists studying the soil beneath a leaking Hanford nuclear waste storage tank have discovered more than 100 species of bacteria living in a toxic, radioactive environment that most would have thought inhospitable to all forms of life, reports the Seattle PI. For most living creatures, the nuclear and chemical waste in the underground storage tanks on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is the deadliest mixture of toxins and radioactive muck on the planet. For certain bacteria, however, this toxic goop left over from decades of nuclear weapons production appears to be just a second home. 'Scientifically, it's pretty interesting stuff,' said a microbiologist at the lab. 'The material in the tank is self-boiling and quite hot, so it's not just radioactive and harsh chemicals but also in extreme heat.' The discovery eventually could help researchers better understand how microorganisms can survive severe contaminants -- and how to use the bacteria to help clean up toxic environments. Hanford was an important site for the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb during World War II. For 40 years, it processed plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal. Today, work there centers on a $50 billion to $60 billion cleanup, to be finished by 2035. See also, the related AP story."

Comments

Re:Self-boiling?

[FFFish]

That's brilliant! We could use plutonium rods to boil water, and the steam would drive turbines, which would provide power!

Wait, wait. There's a problem: out of control reaction.

But, hey, we could put, like, graphite rods in there to help keep it all in control! Self-boiling water, but held in check by the rods, yah, that's the ticket!

Luigi, you're brilliant! You've just solved all the world's energy problems! Just wait until we can make your idea fit on the back of a deLorean!

Kudos to you. I'm sending your name in for a Nobel prize.