Globally, nuclear energy is considered as the future of clean energy. However, since the primary source of nuclear energy Uranium is finite, scientists across the world are working on efficient ways of extracting the heavy metal from secondary sources.In a breakthrough development, a scientist from Bhavnagar-based CSMCRI (Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute) Shilpi Kushwaha has developed a method to extract Uranium from secondary sources such as seawater and acidic effluents using crystalline thin films and polymer nanorings.

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Khuswaha was conferred with the Young Scientist Award (YSA) for innovative research by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) during a function held in New Delhi on Sunday. She was awarded by the Vice President M Venkaiha Naidu, under the category of Earth, , Ocean and Planetary Sciences.

According to Kushwaha, India needs a sustainable option for clean energy to follow the Paris agreement on Climate-change”>Climate Change. The demand for energy is increasing day by day. Its expected that in the near future the demand for Nuclear Energy will increase worldwide as it is carbon neutral. However, the Uranium reserves are limited and it is estimated that it would be exhausted in over 100 years, she said.

Here the recovery of Uranium from secondary sources such as contaminated groundwater, mining effluents and seawater comes into picture.

Uranium extraction from seawater (UES) is amongst the seven chemical separations processes where

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progress would lead to global gains. UES provides additional benefits to the Energy Security of any country. It is independent of terrestrial Uranium Ore which reduces the concerns of environmental damage from land-based mining, Khuswaha told TOI. She added that the heavy Metal extracted from seawater is at par with the similar experiments done globally.

Elaborating further, the scientist said that secondary sources of Uranium include spillages from mines, effluents of nuclear power Plants or fly ash dumps that go into water sources after mixing with rainwater and ultimately end up in the sea.