The nuclear power plant’s new sideline business – producing pearls!

Nuclear power plants are places where nuclear energy is converted into electrical energy. But did you know that nuclear power plants now have a sideline business - producing pearls!

Australian White Pearl

Image source: Hainan Nuclear Power

The large, white pearls in the picture above were cultivated by the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant in Hainan, China! The nuclear power plant not only successfully cultivated white oysters in the warm drainage area, but also cultivated high-quality Australian white pearls with a diameter of up to 14 mm .

Australian White and White Butterfly Oyster

Australian white pearls are saltwater pearls, mainly produced in the waters of the South Pacific, especially the northwestern waters of Australia. my country is not the main production area of ​​Australian white pearls.

Australian white pearls are famous because they not only have a satin-like luster, but also shine with a silver-like glittering brightness, making them the finest among pearls.

Pearl jewelry

As we all know, pearls are the by-products of some shellfish that feed on plankton when they defend themselves against foreign objects, and Australian white pearls are produced by the world's largest pearl oyster, the white lipped oyster.

Schematic diagram of pearl production by shellfish

Photo courtesy: Xiao Nanyan

White lipped oysters are also called Pinctada maxima . They live in the ocean and are filter feeders, feeding mainly on algae, as well as bivalve larvae, ventral disc larvae and other protozoa.

White butterfly oysters have a good enrichment effect. They can absorb and consume toxic substances and excess organic matter in seawater, purifying the seawater environment. They have high requirements for water quality and need to grow in an environment with good water quality and suitable temperature. They are delicate "organic gem breeders". This also indirectly shows that the water quality in the drainage area of ​​China's nuclear power plants is safe and reliable .

In fact, the nuclear power plant initially chose white clams and several other shellfish for treatment in order to reduce algae in the surrounding waters, purify seawater, and reduce the risk of blockage in the nuclear power plant's water intake. Unexpectedly, they accidentally harvested super-large Australian white pearls.

It is not easy to produce Australian white pearls

White pearl oysters live in tropical or subtropical waters, not only in northwest Australia, but also in the southwest of Guangdong and the surrounding waters of Hainan Island. But why is our country not the main producer of Australian white pearls?

Western Australia Coast

First of all, the white clams have extremely stringent requirements for the ecological environment. They need pure water and suitable and stable water temperature, which cannot be too cold or too hot. They also need abundant plankton as food.

Such an ecological environment can only be found in a few areas around the world: for example, a very small area on the northwest coast of Oceania, where there is a sparse population, clear water, suitable water temperature, and few typhoons.

Secondly, the pearl cultivation technology of white lipped oysters is relatively complicated, requiring professional breeding personnel and meticulous breeding management.

How to create high quality pearls

1

Natural conditions of the waters surrounding the nuclear power plant

The seawater quality density in the sea area near the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant in Hainan just meets the growth requirements of white oysters, and the sea area near the nuclear power plant is relatively closed and less affected by external pollution; the seawater flow is stable, which is conducive to the growth of white oysters and the formation of pearls.

2

Create favorable conditions in advance

Researchers carried out ecological protection projects such as scientific research and trial breeding of white clams and coral reef migration in advance, further improving the water quality in the sea area near the nuclear power plant.

3

Technical and management support

Hainan Nuclear Power utilized scientific research resources from multiple parties, conducted in-depth research on the breeding technology and disease prevention of white lipped oysters, and adopted scientific breeding management methods. After several steps of "breeding - growth - nuclear insertion - pearl cultivation - harvesting", it finally successfully cultivated high-quality Australian white pearls!

Australian White Pearl

Image source: Hainan Nuclear Power

Will there be nuclear radiation?

The operation of nuclear power plants does have some impact on the surrounding environment, but these impacts are mainly concentrated in the discharge of radioactive substances and warm water discharge. The radiation level of the Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant is strictly monitored to ensure that it will not cause harm to the surrounding environment and organisms, and the warm water discharge is also treated to reduce the impact on the marine ecology.

White butterfly shell

Image source: Hainan Nuclear Power

In addition, the radiation levels of shellfish cultured in the waters around the nuclear power plant are far below the threshold that can affect organisms. The nuclear power plant will regularly conduct environmental monitoring of the surrounding waters, including water quality, radioactive substance content and other indicators to ensure the safety of the culture environment.

So, don't worry! Pearls grown in nuclear power plants do not pose any radiation risk!

Crisis and opportunities facing white butterfly shells

Due to its high ornamental, medicinal and economic value, the white oyster has been overfished by humans for a long time, and its number has been drastically reduced. In addition, due to problems such as marine environmental pollution, the number of wild white oysters has also been declining sharply and is now endangered.

White lipped oysters can produce highly valuable Australian white pearls

In 1983, the People's Government of Guangdong Province approved the establishment of the White Butterfly Oyster Nature Reserve in the Beibu Gulf of Leizhou City. However, illegal fishing and theft occurred in the reserve in the early years, destroying the living environment of the White Butterfly Oyster. At the same time, disorderly breeding and discharge of pollutants into the sea also led to a decline in seawater quality, exacerbating the survival crisis of the White Butterfly Oyster. More than 30 years later, the situation has taken a turn for the better. In the newly adjusted "National Key Protected Wildlife List" in February 2021, the White Butterfly Oyster was listed as a national second-level protected animal.

In 2023, the country has clearly proposed to build a modern marine ranch. It has also proposed the "blue granary" strategy to develop and utilize marine and inland water resources and promote the healthy development of marine fisheries. Among them, raising shellfish and cultivating pearls in nuclear power plants is a manifestation of the development and utilization of marine biological resources!

Nuclear power plants can cultivate pearls, saline-alkali land can grow rubber, and crabs can be raised in the desert. Perhaps it is the Chinese nation's powerful planting genes that have allowed us to develop more economically effective ways of protecting the ecological environment.

References

[1] Meng Zhaomei. Pearl King and White Butterfly Oyster[J]. China Fisheries, 1984(7):1.

[2] Wang Zuyan. Cultivation of white lip pearls with diameters 2 to 5 times that of common pearls [J]. Marine Fisheries, 1982(2):1.

[3] Xiao Yayuan, Xu Shannan, Huang Zirong, et al. Biological quality and pollution assessment of white lipped mussels in the northwestern coastal waters of Hainan Island [C]//Abstracts of the 2014 Annual Conference of the Chinese Society of Fisheries. 2014.

[4] Lao Zan, Ou Chunxiao, Liang Sheng, et al. Research on artificial seedling cultivation of Pinctada maxima[J]. Journal of Zhanjiang Ocean University, 2003. DOI:CNKI:SUN:SHDX.0.2003-04-003.

Planning and production

Source: Shanghai Natural History Museum (ID: snhm01)

Author: Xiao Nanyan Shanghai Natural History Museum Exhibition and Education Center

Editor: He Tong

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin