Rethinking Radioactive Waste Management from Cellular Vulnerability to Molecular Containment
Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The physiological vulnerability of specific tissues to radionuclides must directly dictate the molecular design of waste containment chemistries. Unlike conventional reviews that treat radiobiology and radiochemistry separately, we establish a continuous feedback loop between cellular injury mechanisms (e.g., strontium-90 in pancreatic β‑cells via calcium mimicry) and chemical sequestration strategies (e.g., cryptand‑2.2.2‑functionalized geopolymers). We first reinterpret fundamental radionuclide properties through a physiological lens, revealing why half‑life alone fails to predict biological risk. Second, we propose a Physiological Vulnerability Index (PVI) that quantifies how ion‑mimicry and organ‑specific transport proteins (e.g., sodium iodide symporter (NIS), transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 (TRPV6), Na+/K+‑ATPase) amplify hazard beyond standard dosimetry, using the effective half-life of each radionuclide (combining physical and biological half-life) rather than physical half-life alone. Third, we design waste forms using reverse physiology: supramolecular hosts that replicate the failed selectivity of biological channels, radiation‑tolerant geopolymers that block mitochondrial fragmentation, and redox‑active barriers that disrupt ferroptosis triggered by plutonium. Finally, we introduce the Biocompatible Waste Matrix Score (BWMS) – a hybrid metric that combines chemical leach rate with a panel of five physiological biomarkers (mtDNA fragments, insulin secretion inhibition, thyroid NIS silencing, lymphocyte γ‑H2AX foci, and plasma selenoprotein P). This review transforms radioactive waste management from a purely geochemical discipline into a biology‑driven engineering field, offering testable hypotheses for next‑generation containment systems.
Source: IntechOpen eBooks
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204120667