Boric Acid and Fatalism

THE fire that broke in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has sent radioactivity into the air, putting at high risk lives even as far away as Tokyo. As of March 15, 2010 the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that this radiation leak amounted to 400 millisievert (mSv) per hour.

Exposure to over 100 mSv a year, said the World Nuclear Association, can already lead to cancer. To help control this radioactive cloud, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) considered using boric acid.

So, what’s in boric acid that can help control radioactivity from spreading? Allow me to divert from my column focus in view of the crisis in Japan.

Boron, its basic element, is chemically inert, making it a good fire retardant, and resistant to boiling even with such strong acids as hydrochloric and sulfuric acids.

One of its naturally occurring and stable isotopes, boron-10, is good at... [Read more.]

This article appears in SunStar Cebu newspaper on 23 March 2011.

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