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Kinetics and pH-dependent uranium bioprecipitation by Shewanella putrefaciens under aerobic conditions

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Abstract

The removal behavior of U(VI) by Shewanella putrefaciens was investigated in this study. Our results demonstrated the formation of uranium phosphate biomineral, predominantly existed as chernikovite [H2(UO2)2(PO4)2·8H2O], on the cell surface of S. putrefaciens. The lamellar chernikovite was found at slightly acid pH, but not at pH > 7.0. Phosphate-containing groups played the key role in the formation of chernikovite based on the analysis of IR. After ashing and hydrothermal process, bacterially mediated chernikovite can be transformed into inorganic uranium phosphate and UO2, respectively. The findings can provide a potential strategy for in situ bioremediation of uranium in aerobic environment.

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Biomineralization process of uranium on S. putrefaciens.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program: 2014CB846003), the China National Natural Science Foundation (Grant number: 41502316, 41672039), the Doctor Foundation of Southwest University of Science and Technology (Grant number: 15zx7109), the Prior Research Foundation of Fundamental Science on Nuclear Waste and Environmental Security Laboratory (Grant number: 15yyhk11), and the Undergraduate Innovation Fund Project by Southwest University of Science and Technology (CX16-021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundamental Science on Nuclear Wastes and Environmental Safety Laboratory, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, People’s Republic of China

    Wenbo Huang, Xiaoqin Nie, Congcong Ding & Rong Huang

  2. Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, People’s Republic of China

    Faqin Dong & Shiyong Sun

  3. School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, People’s Republic of China

    Yilin Qin & Mingxue Liu

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  1. Wenbo Huang
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  2. Xiaoqin Nie
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Correspondence to Xiaoqin Nie or Congcong Ding.

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Huang, W., Nie, X., Dong, F. et al. Kinetics and pH-dependent uranium bioprecipitation by Shewanella putrefaciens under aerobic conditions. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 312, 531–541 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5261-7

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