Japanese firms develop decontamination products

Japanese companies are developing new materials to help dispose of radioactive elements released during last year’s Fukushima nuclear disaster. Major metal maker Dowa Holdings has developed iron powder that absorbs radioactive cesium dissolved in water, according to Japan’s (NHK WORLD) website. An experiment shows the iron powder can cut in half the amount of cesium in water. The used powder can then be removed with magnets. Leading chemical textile maker Toyobo has combined two cesium-absorbing elements to create a material that’s more effective in decontamination. The firm says a test demonstrates that the new material can remove 99% of 10 milligrams of cesium in one liter of water. The companies plan to conduct verification tests and call on these authorities to adopt their new technologies.