How Ramen Could Save Us From a Big Mess

Ramen. In the US, it’s the staple of many college kids’ diets and a popular option for those trying to save money on their grocery bills. In Japan, it’s the equivalent of grandma’s chicken soup, and every bit as welcome and soothing. As it turns out, it might also be what scientists need to save the world. Though not the noodles themselves, ramen making might just be one of the best ways to clean up the earth for future generations. Let’s explore how.

This Ramen Flavor Could Save the World

There are a lot of different ramen brands and flavors, with one popular one being tonkotsu. This type is made with pork bone broth and therefore uses a lot of bones. It might not be the healthiest of the ramen options, but it turns out it’s a great way to advance some of the most important science because it could hold the key to addressing one of the biggest risks of using nuclear energy: radioactive waste.

Pork Bone Broth and Baking Soda

Yurina Sekine, a researcher with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, is a self-proclaimed ramen-lover. She’s also very serious about her job. She started experimenting with the discarded bones from her local ramen restaurant while looking for ways to clean up nuclear and radioactive waste.

Researchers had previously found both pig and cow bones to be good at absorbing anything radioactive, but they hadn’t used them in a systematic way until Sekine decided to see what she could do with them. By boiling them and then soaking them in a baking soda solution, Sekine determined that the bones soak up radioactive waste like a sponge.  

Based on Sekine’s research, the pig bone and baking soda mix was nearly 20 times more effective at absorbing radioactive waste than current methods. The mixture won’t pick up every radioactive element but works in combination with other methods to add to the planet’s protection after a nuclear spill.

Soaking Up Nuclear Waste Using Bones

Putting pig-bone loofahs in the water around contaminated areas just might help speed up the process of mitigating nuclear waste and radioactivity, reducing the stress on the planet and the ecosystem around the spill site, and — we're hoping, maybe even make it safe for people, plants and animals again.

All those bones, usually thrown away after making the broth, can be used as artificial loofahs for radioactivity and reduce what goes to landfills. Who would have thought that a ramen byproduct might be able to help save the planet from our nuclear messes? 

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