nuclear-news

Manchester University 8th April 2020,Two new research papers from The University of Manchester, working with
colleagues at Sellafield Limited and the National Nuclear Laboratory show
that microbes can actively colonise some of the most intensively
radioactive waste storage sites in Europe.

When nuclear facilities such as
Sellafield were designed and built more than 50 years ago, it was sensible
to assume that the conditions in the pond would prevent microbial life from
taking hold, but now new research shows that this is not the case. The
growth of microbial life in nuclear facilities can cause uncertainty or
problems.

Understanding how microbial life can inhabit environments such as
fuel storage ponds is vital to progress nuclear decommissioning work such
as at Sellafield. Microbes are a group of organisms that, including
bacteria and algae, are known to inhabit a wide range of habitats on Earth.
Improvements in detection technology in recent years has allowed
microorganisms to be detected in environments previously thought to be
inhospitable to life. It is now becoming clear that some microorganisms are
capable of withstanding surprisingly high doses of radiation, at levels
significantly greater than seen in natural environments.

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/sellafield-research-uncovers-microbial-life-in-fuel-ponds/

Power Technology 8th April 2020, University of Manchester researchers have discovered microbial life can
survive intense radiation at European nuclear waste storage sites. Working
with the National Nuclear Laboratory at the Sellafield nuclear site,
researchers found that microbes, including bacteria and algae, can survive
in environments previously thought to be inhospitable to life.

Geomicromicrobiologists studied microbes that can cause summer blooms in
nuclear fuel storage ponds, slowing down the decommissioning process of
retired nuclear plants. Summer blooms reduce visibility and disrupt fuel
retrieval.

University of Manchester microbiology professor Jonathan Lloyd
said: “Our research focused on Sellafield’s First Generation Magnox
Storage Pond (FGMSP), which is a legacy pond that has both significant
levels of radioactivity in conjunction with a highly alkaline pH (11.4),
equivalent to domestic bleach. “The ultimate aim of this work was to
identify the microbes that can tolerate such an inhospitable environment,
understand how they tolerate high radiation levels, and help site operators
control their growth. “The growth of the microorganisms in the FGMSP
inhibits the operations in the pond, which is currently a priority for
decommissioning. “

https://www.power-technology.com/news/microbes-survive-radiation-at-nuclea-sites-university-manchester-report/