Chinese scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough by developing a method to extract uranium from seawater, as reported by Interesting Engineering. This development could have substantial implications for making nuclear power more affordable and viable as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Nuclear power has often been stigmatized due to notable disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima. However, experts argue that it is much safer than generally perceived and can generate energy without the significant air pollution that contributes to global warming, unlike gas, oil, and coal.
One of the main drawbacks of nuclear power is its reliance on uranium, a rare and non-renewable metal. Researchers at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology have created an organic material capable of extracting uranium from seawater. This invention could make uranium procurement much less challenging and expensive.
The newly developed adsorbent is described as environmentally friendly, cost-effective, easily synthesized, and possessing impressive mechanical robustness and recyclability, according to Interesting Engineering. Although seawater contains minute quantities of uranium—3.3 milligrams per ton of seawater, equivalent to extracting one gram of salt from 300,000 liters of fresh water—there is a vast amount of seawater available, making this method less environmentally damaging than traditional uranium mining.
Such advancements, alongside China's development of the world's first "meltdown-proof" nuclear reactor, suggest that nuclear energy could become a key component of future energy solutions, complementing wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources.
