The Chernobyl accident has made a permanent change in millions of lives. The damage has been felt then and is still seen to this very day. The danger zone has forced people out of their homes, and until now, the area is still considered inhabitable.
Scientists and researchers visit the area to study the soil and the life that are in the area. They have been looking for ways to neutralize the damage as quickly as they can. Because of the high radiation levels, it hasn’t been an easy task for everyone.
Fulfilling the Promise
As they promised to doing last April of this year, during the 35th commemoration of the Chernobyl accident, the Swiss-based company Exlterra has done something and has reported spectacular results after one year of hard work decontaminating a 2.5 acre plot of land (1 hectare). This parcel of land is located in the radioactive exclusion zone around the damaged plant in Ukraine.
Exlterra made an announcement last month that radioactive pollution in the soil decreased by an impressive 47 percent with their method, and in the air above the ground by an average of 37 percent. This was a year after the NSPS technology (Nucleus Separation Passive System) was installed in the affected area. With the said results, they now believe that a total remediation of the area is “seriously conceivable within four years,” and this is done without moving any earth or using any chemicals. Hence, they have taken the natural route.
Exlterra (pronounced excel–terra) is all about sustainability. The company was co-founded in 2013 by Polish-American Andrew Niemczyk. At this point in time, its newest set of technologies are not only able to safely clean radiation-scarred landscapes, that come with promising potential to treat radioactive waste, but also transform hydraulic power as well as boost the nutrition levels of trees.
The NSPS underground technology of the company was installed at Chernobyl between November 2019 and September 2020. This was able to crucially accelerate the decay of radioactive elements with the use of the existing energy in the ground, and it is done so in a sustainable process. This is made possible because the technology uses a series of tubes that are designed in a specified shape. These are also installed with a set length and distance between each other. These tubes allow the radionuclides to naturally decontaminate at a much quicker rate than the 24,000 years that it would require if people allowed the natural processes to take place without human intervention.
Twelve months after NSPS was deployed, the radioactive substances Cs137, Sr90, and Am241, were reduced by an average of 47 percent.
The careful methodology and extensive measurement process were carried out by Ukrainian experts such as Sergiy Kireiev. He has been in charge of caring for the plant since it was barricaded for safety years and years ago. “These results are remarkable,” shared Kireiev. He is the General Director of SSE Ecocentre in Chernobyl. He further said, “It is the first time in 35 years that such 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.”
“This 12-month reduction in radioactivity will allow us to bring this parcel back to its original radioactivity level over a 5-year period,” explained Frank Muller. He is the co-founder and CEO of Exlterra. “We also want to quickly offer our solution at other problematic sites around the world, including Fukushima in Japan.”
Done by Harnessing Nature’s Own High Velocity Particles
The NSPS technology harnesses scientific concepts of particle physics and nuclear energy in order to address the problem of severe contamination of radiation. It works by leveraging in particular high velocity particles, also known as positrons, to target this naturally occurring force towards radioactive isotopes that are found in the soil. This then breaks the bonds holding these isotopes together. The best part is that this happens safely because it is done under the surface of the soil. Hence, no radioactivity is further released into the ground or above the ground in the air. This was according to what the experts in Exlterra observed. Once the positron comes into contact with the radioactive isotope, it then rejoins an electron and obliterates back to its original matter.
“What seemed impossible is now a reality,” said Exlterra President and CTO Niemczyk in an announcement he made with the company. “NSPS is an innovation that allows positrons to naturally accelerate in a passive system to remove contaminated areas. It harnesses renewable energy sources present in nature to considerably accelerate the natural decomposition process of contaminants in the soil.” He also said, “That’s what makes this invention unique – it uses natural energies to solve an industrial pollution without resorting to chemical substitutes or soil manipulations.”
A New Scientific Revolution that Can be Used for Other Applications
Aside from the treatment of radioactivity, NSPS technology can also be used for other applications such as treating other types of soil contamination, which includes other heavy metals and perfluoroalkyl substances. These substances are known to be highly problematic and extremely dangerous for the environment.
“We are only at the beginning of the virtuous application of such a technology,” says inventor Niemczyk. He then shared, “As with our other successfully commercialized technologies, we have demonstrated that we can use nature’s resources to heal the wounds we inflict on it. The common denominator of our technologies, installed underground, is the use of natural and renewable forces to achieve tangible results.”
This technology comes with other beneficial features. These include being energy-passive and maintenance-free during its use. For a more comprehensive description of the NSPS technology and how it works, the experts at Exlterra have been more than transparent about what their goals are and what they’ve done to reach these.
Niemczyk’s breakthrough NSPS technology has now also been featured in a new book called Grounds for Freedom: Saving Chernobyl. This was written by journalist R.J. King who also set up a website called SavingChernobyl.com for those interested.
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