Zurich invention may be used in Fukushima nuclear clean-up
Millions of litres of radioactively contaminated water are stored in water tanks at the tsunami-crippled nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima, in Japan.
Keystone / Kimimasa Mayama
Researchers in Zurich have developed a filter membrane made of whey proteins and activated carbon that can clean contaminated radioactive water. They hope to deploy their invention at the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
Four years ago, scientists at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich unveiled a filter membrane that could remove metals such as uranium, gold and platinum from water.
Laboratory tests show that the filter membrane can effectively remove radionuclides used in the medical field, such as technetium-99m, iodine-123 and gallium-68, from water. It is 99.8% successful after just one filtration step.
The researchers also tested their invention with a sample of effluents from a Swiss hospital, which contained radioactive iodine-131 and lutetium-177. It removed both elements almost completely from the water.
“Thanks to our membrane, it’s possible to enormously reduce the amount of waste and to store the radiating elements as compact, dry solids,” Raffaele Mezzenga, professor of food and soft materials at ETH Zurich, said in a statementExternal link on Tuesday.
Swiss pilot project and Fukushima
As a next step, the researchers are planning a pilot project with a large Swiss hospital that wants to test the filtration of radioactive effluents.
They have also been in talks with a Japanese company involved in clean-up work at the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster to treat a sample of contaminated water.
“If our assumption is correct, the filter membrane could massively reduce the volume of wastewater in Fukushima, meaning that no radioactive water would have to be dumped into the Pacific Ocean,” Sreenath Bolisetty, co-developer of the membrane, declared.
He explained that the filters saturated with the highly radioactive elements can be stored as solids, for example in the same place as used fuel rods from nuclear power plants.
The filter membrane is relatively easy to produce, say the scientists. Whey protein is a waste product of the dairy industry that is cheap and readily available. The activated carbon component is also found easily.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Swiss cinemas report drop in admissions in first half of 2024
This content was published on
The decline in cinema-goers has continued so far this year. Swiss films and smaller cinemas are holding up better than big US productions and multiplex.
Spread of Japanese beetle leads to lawn-watering bans in Basel
This content was published on
Basel City authorities have extended an infestation zone with strict guidelines to a good third of the canton’s territory.
Bad weather forces closure of many Swiss hiking trails
This content was published on
Some 620 trails are still closed due to the extreme weather this summer, with the canton of Valais particularly hard hit.
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten off Zurich and Bern to make it onto the shortlist to host the Europe-wide singing extravaganza next May.
This content was published on
Construction expenditure rose by 0.3% last year in nominal terms, but the price-adjusted situation reveals a 2.5% drop, statistics show.
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
The body found in the Maggia river in Ticino on Thursday is “likely” to be the sixth victim of storms last month, police said.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Radioactive waste: Japan learns from Switzerland’s mistakes
This content was published on
As Japan remembers the Fukushima power plant disaster, it is looking at how the Swiss make decisions over nuclear waste storage.
This content was published on
Six years after the Fukushima disaster on March 11, 2011, two Genevans recount their trip there and present the reality today.
This content was published on
Swiss photographer Dominic Nahr takes a moving look at how life has continued in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, as well as the consequences over time.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.