Japanese officials are using CBI Polymers’ hazardous waste cleaner DeconGel on everything from concrete walkways and parking lots to schools and retail shops, both inside and outside of the exclusion zone.

DeconGel starts off as a liquid that can be brushed or sprayed onto contaminated surfaces. It dries to form a gel that encapsulates microscopic bits of radioactive or otherwise hazardous waste, including PCBs, beryllium, mercury and chromium. The gel can then be peeled off, rolled up and thrown away.