In March 2011, following the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, radioactive contaminants were released at the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility. Since then, the radioactive contaminant cesium 137 (Cs-137) has been detected in the soil in areas surrounding the facility, and scientists have been exploring cost-effective ways to clean up the site that do more than just move the contaminates from one place to another or unintentionally create a chain reaction of contamination throughout the entire ecosystem.
Earthfort, a Corvallis-based agricultural company, has developed a biological soil additive that shows promise as a waste-free solution to decontaminating radioactive soils. Oregon State University students in nuclear engineering and radiation health physics are testing the bacteria Earthfort uses in their inoculant to determine how effectively it can immobilize Cs-137 and other longer-lived fission products in soil. Although the Cs-137 would not be removed using this solution, theoretically it would be rendered inert, because the bacteria Earthfort uses is not consumed by other organisms. If the laboratory experiments are successful, the additive will be used to mitigate soil contamination from the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Graduating seniors Jenelle Parson, Michelle Comolli, Jesse Whitlow, and Matt Bensen developed an approach to test Earthfort’s inoculants by constructing soil columns designed to mimic the soil of Fukushima and then compared the transport of Cs-134 in inoculated, non-inoculated, and control columns. Over 28 days, the team applied Cs-134 in liquid form and came up with a watering mechanism to imitate rain and resultant groundwater. Clean groundwater would indicate that cesium will not be reintroduced to the food chain.
In preliminary results, the team discovered a three- to four-fold reduction in the amount of cesium leached from inoculated soil. As they continue to analyze results, another group of students is analyzing Cs-134 uptake by radishes via water passed through inoculated and non-inoculated soil.
Thanks for posting the article, I have been reading that some of the radiation is starting to reach the united states, the radon gas made it here very quickly with the way the winds were blowing!
Hopeful news. Great cooperative work with OSU and Earthfort. I cannot imagine what the people nearest to Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant must be going through. This potentially could solve a multitude of ground source problems, save people.
Dear researchers, Looking for clues according food and more, to safely accompany our stay in Bella Russe, next july, I hit upon your project directed to deminish cesium137 soil contamination in foodproducts related to Japan’s disaster. I wondered if you might know more on the subject at the Chernobyl plant fallout in 1986.
We are celebrating a wedding in one of the most contaminated places near the border. According to half-time of cesium 137 there is still a lot the stuff in the ground.
Hope to here from you, sincerely yours, Guido Keizer
Dear Guido,
Thank you for your interest in this project. One of our graduate students is continuing research on the Earthfort soil inoculate so if you’d like more information follow our website http://ne.oregonstate.edu. We will post more information on this research as it becomes available.
With regard to Chernobyl we can point you to two very good resources on both the accident and current conditions. The World Nuclear Association has a library entry on the accident http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Chernobyl-Accident/#.UdxLbfmshca .
Another excellent resource is the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Here is a link to their assessment of radiation effects at Chernobyl http://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/chernobyl.html
I hope these help answer some of your questions. Feel free to contact me directly Casey.Mills@oregonstate.edu with any further inquiries.
Thanks,
Casey Mills
Public Information Specialist II
Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics