Cleaning Uranium Waste with Bacteria

Roland Piquepaille writes "Nuclear bombs can kill people even if they're not used. In the U.S. alone, the Department of Energy estimates that more than 2,500 billion liters of groundwater are contaminated with uranium as a consequence of nuclear weapons production. In "Uranium 'pearls' before slime," scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) say they discovered that some common bacteria could "convert deadly heavy metal into less threatening nano-spheres." In fact, these bacteria can convert soluble radioactive uranium into a non-toxic solid form called uraninite. Still, more research needs to be done before using these bacteria on a large scale, but it's a step in the good direction. Read more for additional references and photos showing how Shewanella oneidensis can help us to decontaminate groundwater at nuclear waste sites."

Comments

Re:This is a horrible idea

[porcupine8]

You spelled it wrong. Take a look at their logo; it's PeTA. "Ethical" is obviously the least important part of their operations.

Nature survives radiation, but man may not.

[reporter]

We should not be surprised over the fact that these bacteria actually thrive on the radioactive uranium instead of being killed by it.

Look at how wildfire has actually thrived in the radioactive area contaminated by the Chernobyl accident. That radioactive area is called the Chernobyl zone and has been devoid of people for more than 20 years. The absense of people (who are known killers of wildlife) has enabled wildlife to re-populate the Chernobyl zone.

In the long run, the stupidity (also known as nuclear weapons and global warming) of man may exterminate mankind, but nature will survive. Heed the wisdom of the Native Americans: "The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth."