Irradiation of Microbes from Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Pool Environments
- INEEL (US)
- ISU (US)
Microbes have been isolated and identified from spent nuclear fuel storage pools at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Included among these are Corynebacterium aquaticum, Pseudomonas putida, Comamonas acidovorans, Gluconobacter cerinus, Micrococcus diversus, Rhodococcus rhodochrous, and two strains of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). We examined the sensitivity of these microbes to a variety of total exposures of radiation generated by a 6-MeV linear accelerator (LINAC). The advantage of using a LINAC is that it provides a relatively quick screen of radiation tolerance. In the first set of experiments, we exposed each of the aforementioned microbes along with four additional microbes, pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus luteus, Escherchia coli, and Deinococcus radiodurans to exposures of 5 x 10{sup 3} and 6 x 10{sup 4} rad. All microbial specimens withstood the lower exposure with little or no reduction in cell population. Upon exposing the microbes to the larger dose of 6 x 10{sup 4} rad, we observed two distinct groupings: microbes that demonstrate resistance to radiation, and microbes that display intolerance through a dramatic reduction from their initial population. Microbes in the radiation tolerant grouping were exposed to 1.1 x 10{sup 5} rad to examine the extent of their resistance. We observe a correlation between radiation resistance and gram stain. The gram-positive species we examined seem to demonstrate a greater radiation resistance.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-94ID13223
- OSTI ID:
- 7571
- Report Number(s):
- INEEL/CON-99-00611; TRN: US0101796
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Global '99 International Conference on Future Nuclear Systems, Jackson Hole, WY (US), 08/29/1099--09/03/1999; Other Information: PBD: 3 Sep 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
IRRADIATION
MICROCOCCUS LUTEUS
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
PSEUDOMONAS
RHODOCOCCUS
FUEL STORAGE POOLS
MICROORGANISMS
RADIATION DOSES
SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL STORAGE POOLS
CORYNEBACTERIUM AQUATICUM
PSEUDOMONAS PUTIDA
COMAMONAS ACIDOVORANS
GLUCONOBACTER CERINUS
MICROCOCCUS DIVERSUS
RHODOCOCCUS RHOLOCHROUS
MICROBES
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA (SRB)
RADIATION TOLERANCE
CELL POPULATION
GRAM STAIN