Bacteria Can Make Underground Nuclear Waste Repositories Safer
It takes about two hundred thousand years for the radioactivity of spent nuclear fuel to revert to the levels of naturally occurring uranium. As a result, most research into the long-term safety of nuclear waste disposal focuses on processes that tick to a slow geological clock: the mechanics of the rock layers that make up the storage site or the robustness of the protective barriers in place that are engineered to contain the radiation. However, all these studies neglect one key factor: biology.
Life underground
Bacteria can be found everywhere, even hundreds of meters underground. And according to Rizlan Bernier-Latmani, the senior author of the study, they will pounce on any available energy source. “In water samples from 300 meters underground at the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory, we unearthed a community bacteria forming a closed food chain. Many of them had never been observed before. Under pristine conditions, the species at the bottom of this bacterial food chain get their energy from hydrogen and sulfate from the host rock, powering the remaining species,” she explains.
Adding nuclear waste to the mix changes the conditions altogether. Vitrified, sealed in steel canisters, surrounded by a thick layer of self-sealing bentonite, and buried hundreds of meters underground in geologically stable layers of Opalinus Clay, the radioactive waste is sealed off from the surrounding environment. But the inevitable corrosion of the steel canisters leads to the production of hydrogen gas.
Dropping the pressure
Five years ago, Bernier-Latmani and her researchers took their hypothesis to the field. “For two years, we subjected underground bacteria to increased hydrogen levels, right in the heart of the Opalinus Clay rock at the Mont Terri site,” explains Bernier-Latmani. During that time, they monitored the composition of the bacterial population and how they changed individually, both in terms of their potential to support biochemical pathways, and in terms of the proteins they actually produce.
Once the bacteria had consumed all the available oxygen and iron, the researchers observed a shift in their population numbers and in their metabolism. Both were driven by the increased availability of hydrogen gas. “Two of the bacterial species that are able to use hydrogen to drive their metabolisms flourished, while the other species piggybacked on their growth,” explains Bernier-Latmani. It was good news, as the proliferation of the bacterial community helped keep the buildup of hydrogen gas at bay.
A biological barrier
So how can these findings be used to make nuclear waste repositories safer? Bernier-Latmani proposes adding a fourth, biological, engineered barrier. “What we could do is to add a layer of porous material between the bentonite and the host rock. This porous layer would provide an ideal niche for bacteria that could feed off of sulfate from the host rock and hydrogen from the corroding canisters,” she says.
But one issue still troubles the researcher: genomic studies of the bacterial community suggest that the microorganisms could possess the capacity to transform the hydrogen gas into methane, which would be a less favorable outcome. “We have been trying to provoke methanogenesis at Mont Terri. After half a year, we are still waiting to observe it.“
Contacts and sources:
Sandrine Perroud
Rizlan Bernier-Latmani, Associate Professor
Source: http://www.ineffableisland.com/2016/11/bacteria-can-make-underground-nuclear.html
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!
Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!
HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.
Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.
MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)
Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!
Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.
Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).