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Keyword:nuclear radiation
Malaysia Expands Nuclear Radiation Mutation Breeding Applications to Bolster Food Security and Industrial Inspection
Malaysia's nuclear technology applications are extending from traditional fields such as medicine and industry further into agricultural production and food security. Dr. Sukri, Senior Director of Project Management at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, stated that through research and development using nuclear radiation mutation breeding technology, the agency has shortened the maturation period of cassava from the original 10 to 12 months down to 6 months. Sukri noted that this technological application helps reduce farmers' production costs, improve land use efficiency, and cultivate larger cassava varieties. In addition to cassava, the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Department of Agriculture, has successfully developed two new rice varieties, NMR 151 and NMR 152. These new varieties feature higher yields and demonstrate strong resistance to diseases, extreme weather conditions such as prolonged drought, and flooding.
2026-09-07
U.S. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Develops New Vacuum Attachment for Nuclear Fallout Collection
Nuclear nonproliferation researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have invented a specialized attachment compatible with commercial handheld vacuum cleaners, designed to safely and efficiently collect radioactive fallout generated after a nuclear explosion. The intense heat from a nuclear blast lifts ground debris into the atmosphere, where it melts and cools into radioactive glass beads less than 1 millimeter in diameter that fall back to the ground. In the past, nuclear experts undergoing training could only collect samples using brooms, dustpans, and ordinary household battery-powered vacuum cleaners, making manual containment difficult and posing extremely high radiation exposure risks. The INL team began producing prototypes with a thermoplastic 3D printer in 2017, and after multiple rounds of iteration, has now commissioned a company in American Falls, Idaho, to mass-produce the attachment using industrial-grade 3D printing, significantly improving durability.
2026-07-31