At the heart of nuclear power

This article is taken from the "Issues" section of Omalius magazine #40 (March 2026).

“August 6, 1945, was Day Zero. The day it was demonstrated that universal history might not continue, that we are in any case capable of severing its thread—that day ushered in a new age in world history,” wrote Günter Anders, considered the first “philosopher of the bomb,” in *Hiroshima Is Everywhere* (1982). 

For many thinkers, the invention of the atomic bomb and its use against Japan by the United States constitute a turning point in the destiny of humanity. The Chernobyl accident in 1986—40 years ago this April—and the Fukushima disaster in 2011, whose 15th anniversary was recently marked, are two other landmark events, serving as a reminder of the potential dangers of nuclear energy. 

“Günter Anders also speaks of ‘globocide,’ that is, the possibility that emerged with nuclear technology to ‘make everything disappear,’” explains Danielle Leenaerts, a researcher in art history at UNamur.  “He also emphasizes the impossibility of separating the risks of military nuclear power from those of civilian nuclear power, since radioactive fallout is a possibility in both areas.” 

Today, however, nuclear energy is ubiquitous in our lives. Every day, for example, many workers are exposed to ionizing radiation. In Belgium, anyone professionally exposed to such radiation must wear a dosimeter at chest level (Article 30.6 of the Royal Decree of July 20, 2001). This data is then centralized, analyzed, and archived monthly by the AFCN (Federal Agency for Nuclear Control). An epidemiologist, researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, and member of the Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS) at UNamur, Médéa Locquet is also a member of the Belgian delegation to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), whose mission is to assess the levels and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation on human health and the environment. In this context, she studies in particular the effects of occupational exposure—whether among airline pilots exposed to cosmic rays, uranium mine workers, or healthcare personnel—as well as environmental exposure, and notably the impact of radon, 

“a naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted by the soil that can accumulate in buildings, and which is now the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco,” she notes. 

As part of her collaboration with UNSCEAR, Médéa Locquet is participating with her colleagues in Japan in the “Lifespan Study,” which investigates the consequences of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on irradiated survivors and their descendants. While the dangers of acute exposure to ionizing radiation (so-called “deterministic” effects) are well understood, the effects of low-dose exposure (“stochastic effects”) remain more complex to understand and assess. 

“Generally, in medicine, we move from basic research to applied research. Here, it’s the opposite: by observing an application of military nuclear technology, we directly study the effects on human beings to establish radiation protection standards and confirm certain mechanisms of action of ionizing radiation by returning to experimental research,” explains the researcher. 

Cancer cells are, in fact, characterized by their ability to proliferate continuously. 

Radiotherapy traditionally uses an X-ray beam to target the tumor, but today, researchers are increasingly turning their attention to protons. 

“UNamur has the only proton irradiator in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which allows us to study their advantages over X-rays,” notes Carine Michiels. 

Read our previous article on this topic: ALTAïS – Penetrating the depths of matter to address current challenges

“Protons have a ballistic advantage,” explains Anne-Catherine Heuskin. “When you target a tumor with X-rays, some of the radiation is absorbed and some passes through to the other side. By irradiating upstream, you also affect the downstream area. But the goal is to spare healthy tissue as much as possible: in breast cancer, for example, we try to avoid irradiating the heart.” 

Because they interact differently with matter, protons deposit a small amount of energy continuously as they travel. 

“On the other hand, when they have only a few centimeters or millimeters left to travel, they release all their energy at once,” continues Anne-Catherine Heuskin. “Whatever lies downstream is then spared.” 

Proton therapy is particularly promising for treating pediatric cancers—that is, for patients who still have a very long life expectancy and are therefore at greater risk of experiencing the long-term effects of radiation on their healthy tissues. 

In addition to these external radiation therapy techniques, it is also possible to treat tumors using internal radiation therapy, 

“by attaching a radioactive atom to a ‘carrier,’ such as gold nanoparticles, which will transport this atom to the tumor via the bloodstream,” explains Carine Michiels. 

This technique maximizes the effect on cancer cells while sparing normal cells as much as possible. 

“Over the past 5 to 10 years, the major breakthrough in cancer treatment has been immunotherapy,” she continues. “But we still don’t understand why some patients respond to it and others don’t. One hypothesis is that we need to boost the cancer cells so that they are recognized by the immune system. And this is where radiation therapy has a huge role to play, because by damaging the cancer cells, it helps boost the immune response. The combination of radiation therapy and immunotherapy is therefore set to play a leading role.” 

Today, the scientific community is increasingly concerned about the long-term risks (cancer, leukemia, etc.) associated with medical exposure to radiation. 

“Several recent studies highlight an increased risk of brain cancers and leukemias in patients who underwent repeated CT scans during childhood,” explains Médéa Locquet. “During childhood, the high rate of cell proliferation and differentiation makes cells more radiosensitive, which increases the risk of late effects, particularly in adulthood.” 

Similarly, radiation therapy treatment can increase the risk of certain diseases, even though these risks are now well understood and generally well managed. 

“My research hypothesis,” says Médéa Locquet, “is that the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation mimic the aging process, since what we will find are mainly complications such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, as well as endocrine or neurodegenerative disorders—that is, diseases that appear in the general population with advancing age. Confirming this hypothesis would allow us to optimize doses to prevent this accelerated aging and the onset of treatment-related late effects. We could also try to prevent it by using senomorphs (editor’s note: agents that block the harmful effects of senescent cells), as well as through physical activity and nutrition programs in post-cancer care.”

What is nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is a form of energy released by the nucleus of atoms, which is composed of protons and neutrons. It can be produced by fission (the splitting of an atomic nucleus into several parts) or by the fusion of several nuclei. The nuclear energy used today to generate electricity comes from nuclear fission. Energy production through fusion (as occurs in the cores of the sun and stars) is still in the research and development phase.

How does nuclear fission work?

In nuclear fission, an atom’s nucleus splits into several smaller nuclei, thereby releasing energy through a chain reaction. For example, when a neutron strikes the nucleus of a uranium-235 atom, it splits into two smaller nuclei and two or three neutrons. These neutrons then strike other uranium-235 atoms, which in turn split, producing more neutrons, with a multiplier effect that releases energy in the form of heat and radiation. 

What are the applications of nuclear energy?

Since the discovery of radioactivity, the properties of nuclear energy have been used in numerous applications, notably in nuclear weapons, as well as in military ships and submarines. But nuclear energy also has numerous applications in research, medicine, industry, the food industry (combating insect pests and pathogenic microorganisms), and even archaeology and museology (dating and authenticating certain artifacts).

This is particularly evident in the work of Belgian artist Cécile Massart, who explores landfills as sites of memory, and that of photographer Jacqueline Salmon, who documented the decommissioning of the Superphenix power plant (Isère), “offering a form of knowledge” that is distinct from and complementary to that of scientists. Both are featured in the exhibition curated by Danielle Leenaerts at the Delta, *(Faire) face au nucléaire*, and in her eponymous book (published by La Lettre Volée).