Microbiological treatment of uranium mine waters

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00145a003· OSTI ID:5888134

Kauffman, J W; Laughlin, W C; Baldwin, R A

Percolation of uranium mine discharge water through Ambrosia Lake, NM, soil is shown to be an effective method for lowering selenium, uranium, molybdenum, and sulfate concentrations in the mine water. Selenium concentrations were lowered from approx.1.6 to <0.05 mg/L by reduction of soluble selenate and selenite to insoluble selenium metal. This reaction is most likely performed by bacteria belonging to the genus Clostridium. In addition, sulfate-reducing bacteria in the soil, such as Desulfovibrio bacteria, metabolize sulfate to hydrogen sulfide, which reacts with uranyl and molybdate ions to form insoluble uranium and molybdenum species. The concentrations of sulfate, uranium, and molybdenum were reduced to less than 600, 0.1, and 0.05 mg/L, respectively. A qualitative understanding of the effects of mine water temperature, flow rate, and nutrients on metals removal is provided. The process was successfully field tested for 7 months in a soil column 1.5 m deep. 13 references, 3 figures, 4 tables.

• Research Organization: Kerr-McGee Corporation, Oklahoma City, OK
• OSTI ID: 5888134
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 20:3; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510301* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring &amp; Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560302 -- Chemicals Metabolism &amp; Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDES
AMBROSIA LAKE
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLOSTRIDIUM
COLLOIDS
CONTAMINATION
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DESULFOVIBRIO
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION VI
FLOW RATE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LAKES
LIQUID WASTES
METABOLISM
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MINES
MOLYBDENUM
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REMOVAL
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SOLS
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
URANIUM
URANIUM MINES
USA
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER