Decontaminating nuclear radioactivity.

[JOGAMIGMOG]

Chernobyl and Fukushima remain ghost towns and will continue to be so for hundreds of years. Why hasn’t there been better research into how to neutralise radioactive waste? Is it impossible? Can it not be treated with something? Forgive my ignorance but I’ve looked on Google and nobody is asking these questions. What is it that makes something radioactive anyway and why is it so deadly?

 

[aguero93:20]

Chernobyl and Fukushima remain ghost towns and will continue to be so for hundreds of years. Why hasn’t there been better research into how to neutralise radioactive waste? Is it impossible? Can it not be treated with something? Forgive my ignorance but I’ve looked on Google and nobody is asking these questions. What is it that makes something radioactive anyway and why is it so deadly?

It's impossible or at the very least beyond us at the current time. https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/radwaste.html

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

It's impossible or at the very least beyond us at the current time. https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/radwaste.html

Guess that’s the end of this thread then! Thanks for posting the answer....if only I could understand it!!! It is baffling how such a toxic and potentially deadly industry was allowed to become established in the world but I guess that’s a whole new thread.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Chernobyl and Fukushima remain ghost towns and will continue to be so for hundreds of years. Why hasn’t there been better research into how to neutralise radioactive waste? Is it impossible? Can it not be treated with something? Forgive my ignorance but I’ve looked on Google and nobody is asking these questions. What is it that makes something radioactive anyway and why is it so deadly?

It’s pretty much impossible to us at this stage.
The most dangerous radioactive substances released at the Chernobyl disaster, Iodine, strontium and caesium and have half-lives of 8 days, 29 years, and 30 years respectively. The isotopes Strontium-90 and Caesium-137 are therefore still present in the area to this day.

They were made by neutrons being fired into their nuclei, making them unstable and having too much energy.

Radiation is dangerous as it harms our cells, causing cancers and other diseases.

 

[tweety]

It can't be neutralized, it's impossible to stop or alter the rate of radioactive decay. I used to work for UKAEA quite a few years ago and back in the eighties they were looking at vitrification of high level waste, for instance fuel cladding, that would be able to be stored safely for millennia.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Some of it will take tens if not hundreds of thousands of years before it is safe.

 

[flyer]

It can't be neutralized, it's impossible to stop or alter the rate of radioactive decay. I used to work for UKAEA quite a few years ago and back in the eighties they were looking at vitrification of high level waste, for instance fuel cladding, that would be able to be stored safely for millennia.

All this plus cheap furniture, lights and shelving units. Clever folk, the Swedish

 

[Magicpole]

Chernobyl and Fukushima remain ghost towns and will continue to be so for hundreds of years. Why hasn’t there been better research into how to neutralise radioactive waste? Is it impossible? Can it not be treated with something? Forgive my ignorance but I’ve looked on Google and nobody is asking these questions. What is it that makes something radioactive anyway and why is it so deadly?

It's impossible. Don't you think if we could, then we would have done it. I think the clue lies in that.

 

[Marvin]

Chernobyl and Fukushima remain ghost towns and will continue to be so for hundreds of years. Why hasn’t there been better research into how to neutralise radioactive waste? Is it impossible? Can it not be treated with something? Forgive my ignorance but I’ve looked on Google and nobody is asking these questions. What is it that makes something radioactive anyway and why is it so deadly?

Vitrification, zeolites. You can transform whatever you want in a particle accelerator but its impractical to deal with large amounts of radioactive waste. The preferred solution for radioactive waste is deep geological disposal. Last I heard Scandinavians were looking at this. Has been considered in Cumbria.

The Koreans, and Chinese lead the way in nuclear technology.

There are 3 types of radioactivity: alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation. It isn't necessarily deadly. There's background radiation everywhere. The damage to the human body is because the radiation ionises molecules and disrupts matter.

It is caused by unstable nuclei. To understand why elements are radioactive you will have to look at the fundamental forces. One is the strong nuclear force. Also look up magic numbers. To understand it you will need to learn somethng about fundamental particles and their interactions i.e. the forces of attraction and repulsion.

Have a look at Lennard Jones Potential.

 

[Atypical]

Yes impossible on that scale I have managed to sell some caesium 137 today, (well give away) It could have been disposed off would have cost €6000 to do so.