Beyond power plants, nuclear tech has various peaceful applications

By BusinessMirror December 20, 2020
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/12/20/beyond-power-plants-nuclear-tech-has-various-peaceful-applications/

The most familiar application of nuclear science and technology (S&T) in the Philippines is nuclear power. But beyond this controversial application nuclear S&T, it has many other peaceful applications for the betterment of the people and for the growth of many sectors of society.

The various contributions of nuclear researches in the Philippines were discussed during the recent 48th Atomic Energy Week virtual celebration.

According to Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, nuclear S&T continue to contribute in various developments in health, livelihood, public order, agriculture and the future prosperity of the country, the Department of Science and Technology’s Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) said in a news release.

“Nuclear and radiation applications have long since [been] proven instrumental in various applications. These include raising the yield of our crops, diagnosing and treating various diseases, and improving the competitiveness of our products,” said de la Peña said at the virtual celebration.

The DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) has been spearheading new frontiers in research on nuclear and radiation applications in the Philippines that have potential contributions to the economic and societal progress.

The DOST-PNRI Director Carlo A. Arcilla pointed out that the agency has been harnessing the benefits of nuclear S&T far beyond power generation.

“We are proud at DOST-PNRI spearheading another great leap in our country’s nuclear medicine capabilities. With enough support, PET-CT and Cyclotron facilities will rise here in Quezon City, which will make the diagnosis of diseases like cancer more affordable to Filipinos,”Arcilla said at a virtual news conference.

He said the building of the facilities will start next year. He added that the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency has checked the plan for structure in order to “future proof” the facility.

Arcilla said the DOST-PNRI continues to apply the unique advantage of nuclear technology for noble applications. These include increasing crop yield with irrigation process and formula, extracting uranium from seawater and developing native fabrics for treating wastewater.

He added that DOST-PNRI is looking forward to expanding irradiation processing with the upgrading of Cobalt-60 into a fully-automated facility.

“While the Cobalt-60 was for the longest time the only facility of its kind in the Philippines, we are proud to report that technology adaptors are now planning to establish their own commercial irradiators in different parts of the country,” Arcilla said at the virtual news conference.

Irradiation is the process by which an object is exposed to low radiation to remove bacteria and other impurities in food, herbs and spices, medical supplies and gemstones.

Arcilla said the personal protective equipment of medical frontliners were subjected to irradiation to sterilize them.

Meanwhile, in her video message at the opening ceremonies of the event, Sen. Nancy Binay said that nuclear and radiation research products had far-reaching effects on society, yet the value of nuclear research beyond power generation are often overlooked.

“The ongoing Covid pandemic has emphasized how crucial nuclear technology is, not only in protecting and improving our way of life but in safeguarding our life itself,” Binay said.

She cited the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test for Covid-19 as an example, which is a key element in the government’s efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus is a nuclear application.

Its derived techniques continue to serve as reliable tools in investigating, detecting, preventing, and containing the outbreak of various diseases, she said.

Binay also said there is growing evidence of how isotope and radiation techniques contribute to our agriculture and guarantee food security.

“Through these, we were able to help our farmers through the development of crop varieties that yield more and can withstand pests, diseases and harsher effects of climate change,” Binay added.

The recent AEW celebration had the theme, “Agham at Teknolohiyang Pangnukleyar: Sandigan ng Kalusugan, Kaayusan, Kabuhayan at Kinabukasan.”

It highlighted the latest developments in the local nuclear S&T and its role in addressing the pressing problems through virtual fora and exhibits.

The annual AEW celebration is mandated under Presidential Proclamation 1211 in 1973, which aims to generate awareness on the safe and beneficial uses of nuclear S&T.