Biodecontamination of radionuclide contaminated concrete

Conference · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:370947

Hamilton, M A; Rogers, R D ^[1]; Benson, J ^[2]

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1. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
2. British Nuclear Fuels, Salwich Preston (United Kingdom)

Within the nuclear industry, there are literally hundreds of square miles of radionuclide contaminated concrete surfaces. A novel technology for biologically decontaminating concrete is being developed. The technology exploits a naturally occurring phenomenon referred to as microbially influenced degradation (MID) in which bacteria produce acids that dissolve the cement matrix of the concrete. Accelerated testing in laboratory conditions was conducted. The bacteria Thiobacillus thiooxidans, supplied from a continuous flow bioreactor, was applied to an exposed concrete surface. A control chamber exposing concrete to sterile media was operated under the same conditions. One hundred percent of surrogate cobalt contamination was recovered from the Thiobacillus treated concrete and 1 mm thickness of concrete material was removed in 60 days. Prototype chambers that can be mounted directly to concrete surfaces have been designed to allow control of environmental conditions to promote MID after inoculation of the surface with bacteria. Studies to determine optimum source and quantity of reduced sulfur, bacterial species or consortia best suited for rapid MID, and methods of application and delivery of bacteria and nutrients will be discussed.

• OSTI ID: 370947
• Report Number(s): CONF-960376--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
BACTERIA
COBALT
CONCRETES
DECONTAMINATION
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUTRIENTS