Immortal Isotope Fingerprints of Nuclear Leaks

Nuclear accidents leave a permanent ghost behind even after the radiation is totally gone.

Usually, we track leaks by measuring radiation, but dangerous stuff like Iodine decays

and vanishes really fast, making it impossible to trace later. The game-changer

is analyzing stable isotopes. These are the non-radioactive leftovers that radioactive elements turn into,

and they stay in the environment forever. Using advanced mass spectrometry,

scientists can now find these tiny chemical fingerprints in the soil. It allows them to

recreate the timeline of old disasters or catch hidden nuclear activity. The radiation might

die out, but the chemical evidence is immortal.