# Researchers capture more than 99% of technetium in mineral-forming tests

_Published Friday, November 6, 2026 at 11:43 AM EST · Science, Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Researchers capture more than 99% of technetium in mineral-forming tests — Primary](https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/2026/promising-solutions-fo.jpg)

University of Manchester researchers demonstrated a method that removed more than 99% of radioactive technetium from liquid waste by incorporating it into engineered minerals as they formed. The studies, published in Environmental Science & Technology, address a contaminant that can move readily through water and soil at nuclear legacy sites.

X-ray analysis and microscopy showed technetium entering the mineral structure and changing into a less mobile chemical form. A second approach used a compound employed in nuclear medicine to help phosphate minerals capture technetium, including under flowing groundwater conditions.

The team is working with Sellafield through the Game Changers program to determine whether the mineral-forming method can assist decommissioning.

## Sources

- [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-mineral-method-radioactive-technetium-liquid.html)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/k4vmFIjcltZb8ZJmD9auwn
Published: 2026-11-06T16:43:11.752Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-06T15:00:05.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-06T22:50:37.163Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)