Experimental study on reduction of U (VI) by an anaerobic bacterium, Shewanella putrefaciens: Application to sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposits, China

A lot of fossil bacteria and algae, which were re-placed by uraninite ( pitchblende), were first found inthe ores when the authors studied the sandstone-hostedinterlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposits innorthwest China[1,2]. It is known that a powerful radia-tion from the uranium ores is harmful and, evendeadly to any life, including microorganism. Whatmechanism does this inconceivable fact result from?Up to the present time in China, there has been no ex-perimental investigation on red…     

Experimental study on reduction of U (VI) by an anaerobic bacterium, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Shewanella putrefaciens</Emphasis>: Application to sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposits,China

An experimental study on reduction of U (VI) by anaerobic bacteria, Shewanella putrefaciens, is first reported here in China. The experimental conditions were: 35°C and pH= 7.0-7.4, corresponding to a physicochemical environments in which the sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposit formed in Northwest China’s Xinjiang. Bacteria adopted in the present experiment, Shewanella putrefaciens, occur extensively in natural environment. Our study shows that nano-crystal precipitates of uraninite quickly occurred on the surface of the cells within one week. It was found that the pitchblende was characterized by a random arrangement of uraninite nanocrystals (2-4 nm) in it, significantly different from natural pitchblende in which uraninite nanocrystals are arranged in order. Finally, a possible mechanism of uranium biomineralization by microorganisms in the deposits is discussed. Our investigation may supply a technical train of thoughts for bioremediation of nuclear-contaminated water environments and for underground dissolving extraction of the sandstone-hosted uranium ores.