Organic matter found in vast quantities in oxygen-starved floodplains would yield only minimal energy for hungry microorganisms, which spurn the meal, researchers show in a study in Nature Geoscience.
Cleaning up Hanford is no easy task: it is one of the world's largest and most complex environmental remediation projects. The nation's top engineering firms are on the job and the Department of Energy's PNNL is helping.
PNNL is supporting today's announcement by the White House about efforts related to soil sustainability by sponsoring research projects through two research initiatives.
PNNL tools that track underground contaminants and speed carbon capture technology development are among R&D Magazine's 100 most innovative scientific breakthroughs of the year.
In fast-neutron reactors, fuel is sealed in ~7 millimeter diameter steel tubes called cladding. When a high-energy "fast" neutron strikes an atom in the steel, it can knock the atom out of place, like a cue ball striking another billiard ball. This leaves two types of damage in the metal: an empty spot where the atom was, and the displaced atom wedged between other atoms. Over time, these defects typically drive undesirable rearrangement of the microstructure, potentially reducing the life of the cladding.
PNNL takes pride in advancing scientific frontiers and developing solutions to vexing problems. In particular, we apply our technical expertise to address national needs in security, energy and the environment.
Calcium carbonate found in chalk, shells and rocks is one of the most important materials on earth. New insights on how it turns into hard, strong materials will help scientists design materials needed for a low-carbon future.
