Cleaning up after a radioactive spill is no easy task, but a team of scientists built a device that could simplify the problem.
According to Interesting Engineering, researchers developed a solar-powered artificial plant that can filter out radioactive cesium from tainted soil.
Cesium isotopes are commonly found in toxic waste sites after radioactive disasters, such as the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan. It's long-lasting and water-soluble, which means it can spread far and wide throughout an ecosystem.
Contaminated soil is an especially dangerous problem, since the toxins get transferred to plants and animals — including humans and our food supply.
"Once it enters the body, it can build up in muscles and bones and cause cancer or organ damage," the researchers wrote in a press release.
However, soil purification typically relies on a removal and treatment process that is costly and slow. Natural plant filters can also work, but this method is still not ideal since it is weather-dependent and creates more waste, per the release.
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The research team's device neutralizes these obstacles. It copies how a real plant draws water from the ground and sends it to its leaves. But inside the devices' fake leaves is a material that captures the toxic cesium and purifies the water, which is then evaporated and returned to the soil, Interesting Engineering explained.
Researchers found that this system could suck out 95% of cesium contamination from soil in only 20 days. Once its parts reach their limits, they can be washed in acid and reused. Plus, the whole gadget runs off nothing but solar power, the outlet reported.
With its high efficiency and low environmental impact, the device shows promise to become a reliable workhorse that can passively restore polluted agricultural fields and natural resources for a fraction of the time and money the current methods take.
These kinds of out-of-the-box innovations that tackle toxic waste don't only protect human health and livelihoods, not to mention improve crucial habitats. They offer a chance to right the wrongs of the past and ensure a safe future for all.
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