Green Options » uranium waste

Agricultural Waste Can Clean up Nuclear Waste, Researchers Find

Susan Kraemer — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:04:08 +0000

Waste uranium can apparently be recovered very cheaply from the polluted runoff from uranium mining using E. Coli and a phosphate storage molecule found in seeds, British researchers have found. They used the common bacteria with a chemical parallel of what is already found in agricultural waste: inositol phosphate.

Inositol phosphate is insoluble, so it forms a precipitate on the bacteria. The E. Coli then broke down the precipitate; releasing the phosphate molecules which then attached to uranium molecules to form uranium phosphate, which can then be harvested to recover the uranium.

What they have developed is a way for one contaminant to clean up another.

Uranium Tailings Removed From Moab Site

Ruedigar Matthes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:39:28 +0000

Desert spreads endlessly beyond the horizon, where crystalline azure meets rusted bronze. This is red rock country. Moab, Utah is known for its breathtaking scenery. Red rock arches, labyrinth-like canyons, the clever Colorado River. This paradise permeates the soul and the soil. But something else sleeps in the soil: uranium tailings.

Uranium was discovered near Moab in the early 1900s, but it wasn’t significantly mined until 1952 when Charlie Steen, a geologist, discovered large quantities of uranium in Lisbon Valley, south east of Moab. Enough Uranium was mined that a sign in town declared that Moab was “The Uranium Capitol of the World!”

Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown Anniversary on The Lindberg Report

Max Lindberg — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:06:47 +0000

April 26 marks the 22nd anniversary of the 1986 nuclear accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Slavutych, Ukraine. That one incident resulted in hundreds and possibly thousands of deaths, lingering health issues, radioactive contamination of a wide swath of land, property losses and on-going clean-up costs totaling billions of dollars.The Ukranian-American Environmental Association sent out a release reminding everyon of the risks of nuclear power.

I spoke with Kenneth Bossong, co-director of UAEA, about the anniversary, and asked him to tell us more about his organization.

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Green Options » uranium waste

Agricultural Waste Can Clean up Nuclear Waste, Researchers Find

Uranium Tailings Removed From Moab Site

Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown Anniversary on The Lindberg Report

National Geographic Photo