Microbial transformations of uranium in wastes and implication on its mobility

  • Arokiasamy J. Francis
Chapter

Abstract

Uranium exists in several chemical forms in mining and mill tailings and in nuclear and weapons production wastes. Under appropriate conditions, microorganisms can affect the stability and mobility of U in wastes by altering the chemical speciation, solubility and sorption properties and thus could increase or decrease the concentrations of U in solution and the bioavailability. Dissolution or immobilization of U is brought about by direct enzymatic action or indirect non-enzymatic action of microorganisms. Although the physical, chemical, and geochemical processes affecting dissolution, precipitation, and mobilization of U have been extensively investigated, we have only limited information on the mechanisms of microbial transformations of various chemical forms of U in the presence of electron donors and acceptors.

Keywords

Microbial Transformation Desulfovibrio Desulfuricans Session Versus Mill Tailing Uranyl Carbonate 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Arokiasamy J. Francis
    • 1
  1. 1.Environmental Sciences DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryNew YorkUSA

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