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Lessons from Radioactive Kitty Litter

—Kelson Vibber, 2014-05-30

In February, a 55-gallon drum of radioactive waste burst at a storage facility in New Mexico. The investigation has pinned it on a surprising culprit: Kitty litter.

Organic Cat Litter Chief Suspect In Nuclear Waste Accident

It turns out that the clay is perfect for stabilizing volatile compounds, so they use it when storing radioactive waste. But somewhere along the line, someone switched to organic kitty litter, which was plant-based…and chemicals in the litter reacted with the chemicals being stored, causing it to heat up and expand.

The off-the-wall nature of the story appeals to me, but it also nicely illustrates several points:

Tech

Science

Weird

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Originally at K-Squared Ramblings

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