A researcher at Oregon State University has invented a way
to use spent nuclear fuel to produce the gamma rays needed to irradiate medical
supplies, food and other products – an advance that could change what is now a
costly waste disposal concern into a valued commodity.
The technology, if widely implemented, might allow each of
the 104 nuclear reactors in the United States to create a revenue stream of $10
million a year while providing thousands of new jobs. And by lowering the cost
of irradiation, it could become commercially feasible for a wider range of
uses.
A provisional patent has been issued on the technology, and
commercialization efforts are under way through a private company, G-Demption
LLC, created for that purpose.