Saving the Biosphere: The Role of Nuclear Science

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Saving the BiosphereThe Role ofNuclear Science
Technology

• North American Young Generation in Nuclear
• www.na-ygn.org

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What is Nuclear Science Technology?

• A multitude of technologies that take
  advantage of the radiation and the atomic and
  nuclear properties of matter to perform a large
  variety of tasks very useful to humans.

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• Do you know any everyday applications of NST?

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Nuclear Power
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Nuclear Medicine

• Diagnosis
• X- ray
• PET scanner
• radio-pharmaceuticals nuclear tracers
• Treatment Therapy
• Ion Implantation Techniques
• Sterilization of medical utensils

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Food Irradiation

• Eliminate pathogens
• E-coli
• Salmonella
• Extend shelf life
• Limit use of food preservatives
• www.iaea.or.at/worldatom/inforesource/other/
  food/

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Space Exploration

• Power supply
• RTG batteries
• Food irradiation

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Industry

• Tracers
• Process control efficiency
• Identify leaks
• Measure level thickness
• Avoid contact with the actual materials
• X-Ray
• Quality control

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Home

• Smoke detectors

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Geology Archeology

• Carbon-14 Dating and similar techniques used to
  date and identify ancient materials

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• In addition to all these useful applications
  of NST, there are a few more that have a
• direct impact on the environment.

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Production of Energy

• Geothermal Energy
• Survey exploration of geothermal resources
• Management exploitation of geothermal reservoirs

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Production of Energy

• Thermonuclear Fusion
• Advantages
• Abundance of fuel supply
• Virtually no waste
• But
• Not yet commercially available

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Environmental Protection

• Electron beam technology to clean flue gas from
  fossil fuel plants
• Electron beam ionizes SO2 NOx
• SO2 NOx reacts with injected Amonia gt Solid
  fertilizer

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Environmental Protection

• Use of natural artificial radioactive tracers
  for the study of Marine Ecosystems
• Understanding of ecosystems dynamics
• Environmental assessment of ecosystems
• Analysis of pollution control remediation
  techniques

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Environmental Protection

• Use of natural artificial radioactive tracers
  for the study of Atmospheric Ecosystems
• Understanding of ecosystems dynamics
• Environmental assessment of ecosystems
• Analysis of pollution control remediation
  techniques

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Water Management

• Survey of the groundwater resources
• Identification of water sources
• Origin
• Distribution
• Quality
• Assessment of seawater leaks
• Management sensible exploitation of water
  resources

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Water Resources

• Use of radioactive tracers for the assessment of
  cleaning and decontamination techniques.
• Desalination of sea water

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Agriculture

• Minimize the use of fertilizers
• Use of radioactive tracers to assess the
  Phosphorus uptake by crops and study the rate of
  erosion of soils.
• Neutron gauges to improve water use efficiency
  and irrigation systems.
• Biofertilizers natural bacteria that help
  Nitrogen fixation in crops.

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Agriculture

• Avoid use of pesticides
• Sterilization of male insects
• Breeding of improved vegetable species
• More efficient absorption of nutrients
• Resistant to insects bad weather
• www.iaea.org/programmes/nafa/dx/

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Paleoclimatology

• Study of the climate that existed before humans
  began collecting instrumental measurements of
  weather.
• Uses radioactive isotopes to study
• Corals
• Fossil pollen
• Tree rings
• Ice cores
• Marine fossils sediments
• www.ngdc.noaa.gov

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UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (
UNFCCC)

• Rio de Janeiro, 1992 U.N. Earth Summit
• Three environmental conventions
• Biodiversity
• Desertification
• Climate Change
• Ratified by 180 countries (29/9/99)
• Led to Agenda 21 UN Statement on Sustainable
  Development

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Sustainable Development

• Development to meet present needs without
  compromising the ability of future generations to
  meet their own needs
• Managing economic growth without depriving
  future generations of a sound base of natural
  resources and healthy environment

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Key Issues on Sustainable Development

• Protecting and promoting human health
• Combating poverty
• Protecting the environment
• Making the energy transition
• Building scientific capacity

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NSTContributing to Social Advancement

• Even in countries where nuclear power is not a
  priority, NST contributes to
• environmental protection
• water management
• human health
• energy production
• food agriculture
• industry
• Proven by the International Atomic Energy Agency
  (IAEA) and the private sector for the last 40
  years.

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Nuclear Science and Technology

• Helps meet the growing global demand for
  electricity
• Reduces greenhouse gases emissions
• Makes a significant contribution to sustainable
  development
• Promotes improved health
• Improves quality of life