Tokyo (SCCIJ) – A unique Swiss technology may help clean up contaminated air and soil in Fukushima. Exlterra demonstrated the effectiveness of its solution in the radioactive zone around the damaged nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. The technology could neutralize large amounts of radiation.
Andrew Niemczyk, Chief Technology Officer and President of Exlterra, installs the last of his system tubes at the Chernobyl test site (© Exlterra).
One-year trial run
Exlterra and SSE Ecocentre, the Ukrainian state-owned specialized enterprise in charge of radiation and environmental monitoring in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, conducted the test together on a 1-acre plot. They sank almost 5,000 tubes of different lengths into the ground at different depths.
Twelve months later, Exlterra’s “Nucleus Separation Passive System” reduced the soil radiation of Caesium-137, Strontium-90 and Americium-241 by an average 46.6%. The air radiation decreased by an average of 37%. Radioactivity levels were measured at distances of 5 cm and 1 meter from the ground, respectively, while soil sampling was performed at a depth of 100 cm below the surface.
A total remediation of the area is thus seriously conceivable within another four years. “These results are remarkable,” says Sergiy Kireiev, General Director of SSE Ecocentre in Chernobyl. “It is the first time in 35 years that any technology has succeeded in reducing the level of radioactivity in the soil and air so significantly. This is a real hope for the whole area, including the treatment of the sarcophagus.”
Chemical-free approach
The Nucleus Separation Passive System significantly accelerates the decay of radioactive elements by using scientific concepts of particle physics and nuclear energy. It leverages in particular high velocity particles, also known as positrons, to direct this naturally occurring force towards radioactive isotopes in the soil. This is done safely under the surface of the soil and no radioactivity is released further into the ground or above the ground in the air.
“What seemed impossible is now a reality,” says Andrew Niemczyk, President and CTO of Exlterra. The startup will continue to offer their services to help the Chernobyl exclusion site, including the area around the destroyed plant. “We also want to quickly offer our solution at other problematic sites around the world, including Fukushima in Japan,” added Frank Muller, CEO of Exlterra. The technology can also be used to treat soil contamination by heavy metals and perfluoroalkyl substances highly problematic for the environment.
Since its foundation in 2013 following the meeting of Polish-born US inventor Andrew Niemczyk and Swiss entrepreneur Frank Muller, Exlterra has been awarded eight patents and successfully installed its technologies on three continents. The company is active in the European, American and Japanese markets. The innovations tackle soil impoverishment, manage storm water issues and remediate contaminated soils. Exlterra has also developed two ultra-light and compact drill rigs.
Text: SCCIJ based on material of Exlterra
