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Russian Researchers Propose New Method for Preparing Iron-59 Magnetite Nanoparticles, Potentially Advancing Nuclear Medicine Diagnostics and Therapy

Russian researchers have developed a new method for preparing iron-59-labeled magnetite nanoparticles, which is expected to provide a new material preparation pathway for medical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography, and radionuclide therapy. According to reports, researchers from the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry and the Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, both under the Russian Academy of Sciences, have proposed synthesizing iron-59 magnetite nanoparticles using the sol-gel method. The relevant findings have been published in the journal Applied Radiation and Isotopes. The sol-gel method is a chemical approach for preparing nanomaterials, with the core process involving the conversion of a liquid colloidal solution into a gel-like network...

2026-09-07

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Initiates Repair of External Power Transmission Lines

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant announced on September 5 that it has initiated repair and restoration work on its external power supply lines to ensure their normal operation. The plant stated that the repair and restoration efforts have commenced and are expected to be completed smoothly, with the Ferrosplavnaya-1 transmission line anticipated to resume operation as soon as possible. Currently, plant staff are monitoring all safety parameters around the clock. The plant stated that the situation on site is under control. ...

2026-09-07

Rosenergoatom Advances Bilibino NPP Decommissioning Preparation in Chukotka

In late August 2026, a delegation led by Alexander Shutikov, Director General of Rosenergoatom, conducted a working visit to the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, traveling to the two nuclear-related towns of Bilibino and Pevek for a series of meetings on the further management of Bilibino NPP, the operation of the Pevek Floating Nuclear Thermal Power Plant, and regional energy security. In Bilibino, Shutikov met with Evgeny Safonov, Head of the Bilibino Municipal District Administration. The parties discussed current and long-term regional projects supported by Rosatom, including progress on the construction of the new "Orbit" ski base.

2026-09-06

IAEA Completes Review of Finland's Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert team recently concluded a review of Finland's nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response framework. The Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) was conducted at the request of the Finnish government, hosted by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), with the mission taking place from August 24 to September 2. The review team focused on assessing Finland's arrangements and capabilities for responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies, benchmarking them against IAEA safety standards. Finland currently operates five nuclear power reactor units at two sites: the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant and the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. The Loviisa plant is located approximately 90 kilometers northeast of Helsinki, while the Olkiluoto plant is situated approximately 270 kilometers northwest of Helsinki. The Olkiluoto site also hosts the Onkalo spent nuclear fuel geological repository, the world's first geological disposal facility for final disposal of spent fuel.

2026-09-03

DOE Officials Visit Fort St. Vrain Spent Fuel Storage Facility in Colorado

Tim Walsh, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (EM), recently visited the Fort St. Vrain spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Platteville in northern Colorado. The facility is managed by the DOE's Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) and its contractor, Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC). During the visit, Walsh inspected the storage facility and multiple supporting buildings to learn about the operational mission and historical background of the Fort St. Vrain facility. The facility currently stores spent nuclear fuel from the former Fort St. Vrain power station, which operated using gas-cooled reactor technology and was shut down in 1979...

2026-09-02

US Antares Selected for DOE Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Program

Antares has been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program. Led by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC), the program aims to advance nuclear technologies from concept to commercial deployment. This selection further expands Antares' business footprint in Texas. Previously, the company was selected to deliver a microreactor to Joint Base San Antonio under the U.S. Air Force's Advanced Nuclear Power Facilities program. Antares CEO and co-founder Jordan Bramble stated that the reactor pilot program has accelerated the company's growth and...

2026-08-31

Gallium ion FIB-SEM sample preparation has a damage limit; low-energy argon ion beam cleaning is used to improve TEM sample quality

Gallium ion focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (Ga⁺ FIB-SEM) has become an important method for site-specific thin lamella sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy/scanning transmission electron microscopy (TEM/STEM), enabling cutting, extraction, and thinning of target regions at the nanometer scale. However, the literature indicates that while gallium ions provide high-precision machining capability, they also cause amorphization, ion implantation, and localized chemical modification on the sample surface, which can subsequently affect high-resolution imaging and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis results. According to the literature, Ga⁺ FIB-SEM typically enables high-resolution site-specific machining at 30 keV, but high-energy gallium ions form a damage layer on the sample sidewalls. Taking silicon as an example...

2026-08-31

India's Tata Consulting Engineers Calls for Expanded Private Sector Participation in Nuclear Energy R&D

Amit Sharma, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), said that India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) should focus more on national strategic objectives and engage in deeper collaboration with the private sector in nuclear power generation-related fields. Sharma stated that TCE has partnered with India's nuclear program for over five decades. The DAE's original core mission was to serve national strategic needs rather than directly undertake power generation. He believes the DAE could draw on the experience of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in promoting private sector development, allowing enterprises greater scope for participation in nuclear energy R&D.

2026-08-31

Boric Acid Leakage During Spent Fuel Transfer Preparation at South Korea's Hanul Nuclear Power Plant

Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, recently disclosed that at 10:16 a.m. on the 3rd, a boric acid solution leakage incident occurred in the auxiliary building of Unit 2 at Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant. The incident happened while workers were preparing to transfer spent fuel from a transport container in the spent fuel loading pool to the spent fuel storage pool, and the preliminary cause has been attributed to improper on-site operations. Boric acid solution is used in spent fuel storage-related operations. As the solution is associated with the spent fuel storage environment, it carries radioactive management attributes. Hanul Nuclear Power Plant stated that leakage containment measures were immediately taken after the leak occurred, and the leaked material was collected in the decontamination area and recovered to the controlled area...

2026-08-28

Japan to Allocate Funds to Accelerate Preparations for Next-Generation Nuclear Reactor Reviews

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan has decided to include funding in its budget request for the next fiscal year to investigate the effectiveness of safety measures for next-generation nuclear reactors and to make advance preparations for future review work. The Japanese government is promoting the development of next-generation nuclear reactors, including innovative light-water reactors that enhance safety design based on existing light-water reactor technology. Since November last year, Kansai Electric Power Co. has been conducting geological surveys at the Mihama Nuclear Power Station in Fukui Prefecture as part of preliminary preparations for potentially replacing existing units with next-generation reactors in the future. It has been reported that the NRA plans to include in its budget request for the next fiscal year...

2026-08-27

Belarus Advances Preparations for Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

Belarus is advancing preliminary work on the construction of a centralized radioactive waste disposal facility. Mikhail Kisel, Director of the Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization, recently stated at a public discussion on the environmental impact assessment report held in Mstsislaw that, according to the country's radioactive waste management strategy through 2050, existing storage facilities will need to be decommissioned in the future, and the new radioactive waste disposal facility is planned to be completed by 2030. Kisel noted that the sources of radioactive waste are not limited to the nuclear energy sector, but also include healthcare, industrial, and scientific research activities. Currently, centralized long-term storage of such waste is handled by the specialized enterprise Ekores. Belarusian radioactive waste...

2026-08-27

Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University Completes Its First PET/CT-Guided Interventional Puncture Procedure

From August 21 to 22, Professor Sun Long from the PET Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University was invited to the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University for academic exchange, and on the following day provided on-site guidance for the hospital's first PET/CT-guided interventional puncture procedure. The successful completion of this procedure marks a new clinical practice milestone for the department in the field of interventional nuclear medicine. On August 21, Professor Sun Long delivered a special lecture titled "Exploration of Clinical Integrated Application of Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine and Interventional Nuclear Medicine Based on the PET Platform," focusing on how the PET platform extends from disease diagnosis and precise localization to interventional diagnosis and treatment. Drawing on clinical practice and typical cases, he introduced the application of interventional nuclear medicine in lesion...

2026-08-27

US Advances Preparations for High-Burnup Spent Fuel Shipment to Idaho for Research

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently stated that the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) is participating in preparations for transporting a high-burnup spent nuclear fuel research cask. The cask is planned to be shipped from Dominion Energy's North Anna Nuclear Power Station in Virginia to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for subsequent spent fuel-related research. INL was selected as the receiving site primarily because it possesses the specialized facilities, equipment, and personnel expertise required for handling spent nuclear fuel. The DOE noted that these capabilities are typically not part of routine commercial nuclear power plant configurations. High-burnup fuel refers to nuclear fuel that remains in the reactor for a longer period to increase energy output...

2026-08-26

Finland Launches Its First IAEA International Assessment of Radiation Emergency Preparedness

Finland has recently launched its first international assessment of radiation emergency preparedness. At the invitation of Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, an international expert team assembled by the International Atomic Energy Agency began assessing Finland's preparedness for radiation emergency response on August 25, with the work continuing through September 1. The assessment is coordinated by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland. This authority also serves as the IAEA contact point and participates in this review as one of the assessed entities. The coordination group designated by Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is chaired by Karim Peltonen from the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland. The assessment employs the IAEA's Emergency Preparedness Review mechanism,...

2026-08-26

Japan's JT-60SA Experimental Team Advances Preparations for Next Operation Phase

Preparations for the next phase of JT-60SA experimental activities are underway. The technical team is carrying out integrated commissioning as planned, while the experimental team is simultaneously refining related tools and software to enhance scientific output capabilities for the next operation phase. During a training course organized by QST, EUROfusion participants are learning how to configure discharge settings using the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) in preparation for the next JT-60SA campaign. Image credit: QST. The Third JT-60SA Experimental Team Workshop was held from July 27 to 31, 2026, at the Naka Institute of the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) in Japan. Approximately 50 experts attended, including 20 representatives from Europe...

2026-08-26