At Washington State University, a team led by Nabil Ashraf Shuvo, with John M. Bussey and John S. McCloy, is revolutionizing how we think about cleaning radioactive waste. They’ve explored how iron sulfide particles—commonly found in nature and known for their magnetic qualities—can remove dangerous iodine from water. This is a big deal, especially for iodine-129, which is highly mobile and toxic.
The study compared lab-made iron sulfide particles to commercial ones, focusing on how they react with iodate in water. By using tools like Raman and UV–Vis spectroscopy, the researchers tracked how the particles transformed iodine. Notably, greigite-rich samples from hydrothermal synthesis were the most effective, not just trapping iodine but reducing it into safer forms.
They even spotted the formation of triiodide and sulfate, key signs of redox reactions. Using advanced X-ray absorption techniques, they confirmed that most of the iodine ends up chemically bound to the particles—paving the way for possible magnetic removal methods.
This exciting development could lead to safer nuclear cleanup strategies using cost-effective, magnetically separable materials. The work opens doors to better waste management and environmental safety with clever chemistry and materials science.
Read more about it here!
Nabil Shuvo, John Bussey, John McCloy, “Iodine Sorption on Iron Sulfide Particles for Nuclear Waste Treatment: A Raman, UV-Vis and I L2,1 Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Study,” MRS Advances, in press, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-025-01313-9