Leaching of /sup 226/Ra from U mill tailings by sulfate-reducing bacteria
Journal Article
·
· Health Phys.; (United States)
Relatively insoluble sulfate precipitates appear to be a major host for Ra in sulfuric acid-treated, U mill tailings. The dissolution of such precipitates by natural processes, such as metabolism by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), creates the potential for release of Ra to contacting waters. Significant leaching of Ra by SRB was achieved in the laboratory during the anaerobic incubation (1 to 119 days) of U mill tailings with pure cultures of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and mixed cultures containing SRB isolated from the tailings, all grown on a lactate medium at room temperature. While the maximum /sup 226/Ra concentration reached in a sterile media control was 0.44 Bq/L (12 pCi/L), that in the SRB systems was 61 Bq/L (1640 pCi/L) or about 20% of the total Ra inventory in the original tailings sample. The leaching of Ra in SRB systems was accompanied by a decrease in soluble sulfate concentration, an increase in total sulfide concentration, and an increase in the number of SRB. The observed leaching effect does not appear to be due to the action of microbial chelates or to binding to cell walls. Potential implications of these findings to the management of U mill tailings and other radioactive wastes are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Geological Survey, Reston, VA
- OSTI ID:
- 6981887
- Journal Information:
- Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN HLTPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BACTERIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DESULFOVIBRIO
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
METABOLISM
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MILL TAILINGS
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
REDUCTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLID WASTES
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TAILINGS
URANIUM
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BACTERIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DESULFOVIBRIO
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
METABOLISM
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MILL TAILINGS
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
REDUCTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLID WASTES
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TAILINGS
URANIUM
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES