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Microorganisms associated with uranium bioremediation in a high-salinity subsurface sediment
Kelly P Nevin1, Kevin T Finneran, Derek R Lovley
1Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|June 6, 2003
Summary
Stimulating microbial metal reduction effectively removes uranium from groundwater. In high-salinity environments, acetate addition enhanced uranium removal by promoting specific bacterial growth, not previously associated with uranium reduction.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Geochemistry
- Bioremediation
Background:
- Disssimilatory metal reduction aids uranium precipitation and removal from aquifers.
- Geobacteraceae, crucial for metal reduction, do not thrive in high-salinity conditions typical of some uranium-contaminated sites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate uranium removal in highly saline groundwater.
- To identify microorganisms capable of uranium reduction under high salinity.
Main Methods:
- Addition of acetate to uranium-contaminated, high-salinity aquifer sediment.
- Monitoring of uranium (U(VI)) removal from groundwater.
- Microbial community analysis to identify enriched species.
Main Results:
- Acetate addition stimulated the removal of U(VI) from the groundwater.
- Microbial analysis revealed an enrichment of bacteria related to Pseudomonas and Desulfosporosinus species.
Conclusions:
- Microbial communities distinct from Geobacteraceae can facilitate uranium removal in saline environments.
- Acetate serves as a viable substrate to stimulate bioremediation of uranium in high-salinity groundwater.