Supergoo Erases 'Monument-al' Nuclear Fallout

Supergoo Erases 'Monument-al' Nuclear Fallout

sciencenews.org

The Department of Homeland Security initially put out calls to researchers for projects to explore radioactive-cleanup techniques that might be developed in a year or so to aid first responders should a nightmarish situation arise. While mulling over the supergels used in baby diapers, Kaminski thought there must be a way to apply them in a unsaturated concentration to wet buildings, perhaps through a fire hose. As the viscous gel attempted to suck in moisture from a building’s surface, it would also pick up any deposited radioactive contaminants.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This "Supergoo" seems like a pretty amazing product if it really can clean up nuclear radiation from buildings and other structures. The article said that this product would be used if for example a dirty bomb was detonated in the nation's capital, which is a very scarey thought. Although this is an amazing product I hope it never needs to be used.

sciencenews.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

This is all well and good, but what do you do with the radioactive supergoo once it's removed it from the building. It sounds like someone would have to come up with a way to collect it. Otherwise you'd have some weird radioactive gel slimed all over a building. Images of Ghostbusters II come to mind.

This is an actual technique I've seen on TV used to battle house fires.

Firefighters battling a house fire realized that the gel inside a diaper was unscathed after they put it out. Then comes the Firegel product they created.

Pretty intense stuff