Article

Nuclear's Hidden Benefits: Medicine, Food, and More

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Anthropocene Institute

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Nuclear technology is mainly used in the energy sector, and for obvious reasons – nuclear reactors create large amounts of fossil-free, reliable electricity. However, this isn’t the only benefit of the technology. These reactors have applications in many other sectors, from medicine to food, and even paper!

The benefits of nuclear research extend beyond the environmental gains of replacing fossil fuels in energy production. These co-benefits, positive effects of climate action beyond the actual emission reductions, significantly increase the value of nuclear research.

Nuclear research has been instrumental in tracking diseases such as cancer and various heart conditions. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.

Nuclear research has been instrumental in tracking diseases such as cancer and various heart conditions. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.




Nuclear Materials In Medicine

In the medical field, radioactive tracers produced in a nuclear reactor can be used to track the progression of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases by injecting them into the patient’s blood or organs. The radiation they release when decaying can be detected, tracing their path through the body. This is an accurate means of identifying cancer and other diseases, with a radiation risk no more than a standard chest X-ray. Nuclear medicine can also treat cancer through radiopharmaceuticals produced in research reactors or particle accelerators. These drugs are specifically designed to target cancer cells and bombard them with radiation, destroying them without harming healthy cells. Radioactive materials are also used to irradiate food, medical, dental, and household materials. The nature and degree of this radiation are not harmful and do not meaningfully impact the product itself. However, any bacteria, insects, and other diseases that would render it unsafe to use are killed. The irradiation can delay the sprouting and ripening of foods, or completely sterilize them, meaning that they can be stored for years without refrigeration, an important aspect of hospital food, for example.

Everyday Applications of Nuclear Technology



Nuclear technology can also protect crops or stimulate their growth. Radiation-based techniques have been used in everything from monitoring soil health to sterilizing insects without pesticides and genetically altering crop species to be more resilient and nutritious. Radioactive material is used in many other mechanisms that you encounter in your everyday life. Smoke detectors contain a small amount of radioactive americium-241, nuclear reactors are used to desalinate seawater into drinking water, and the paper you buy uses nuclear gauges to ensure it is all equally thick. Nuclear technology has affected much more than just energy production. Radiation or nuclear physics is used in many areas of research. As development continues, more applications of nuclear techniques will reveal themselves. Research must be protected, and universities must be allowed to continue their crucial work to give us a future with a more stable climate, healthier people, and safer societies.

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