The fuel rods at all six reactors at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi complex contain plutonium — better known as fuel for nuclear weapons. While plutonium is more toxic than uranium, other radioactive ...

Instead of burying plutonium and pretending it has disappeared, we can put it to work. With advanced fast reactors, like those being developed by private American innovators, stored fuel will be ...

Opinions differ on whether the half ton of weapons-grade plutonium secretly shipped by the U.S. government to the Nevada National Security Site could impact residents’ health and the environment.

You can hold plutonium in your hand, but it has the potential to destroy entire cities. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Plutonium ...

Plutonium can be used to make nuclear bombs. But it can also be recycled and used as a fuel in nuclear reactors. According to the authors of a Nature editorial, the UK—which has the largest civilian ...

A plan to dilute and dispose of excess plutonium dating back to the Cold War was frozen by an executive order President Donald Trump issued late last month. Instead, the order directs Energy Secretary ...

It’s widely known that a smoke detector is a good ionizing radiation source, as they contain a small amount of americium-241, a side product of nuclear reactors. But what about other sources? [Carl ...

For historical reasons, plutonium brings to mind nuclear weapons. Jan Hartmann brings another side of element 94 to attention, which features an upcoming trip to its eponymous celestial body.