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Title: Geomicrobiology of High Level Nuclear Waste-Contaminated Vadose Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington State

Abstract

Sediments from a high-level nuclear waste plume were collected as part of investigations to evaluate the potential fate and migration of contaminants in the subsurface. The plume originated from a leak that occurred in 1962 from a waste tank consisting of high concentrations of alkali, nitrate, aluminate, Cr(VI), 137Cs, and 99Tc. Investigations were initiated to determine the distribution of viable microorganisms in the vadose sediment samples, probe the phylogeny of cultivated and uncultivated members, and evaluate the ability of the cultivated organisms to survive acute doses of ionizing radiation. The populations of viable aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were generally low, from below detection to {approx}104 7 CFU g-1 but viable microorganisms were recovered from 11 of 16 samples including several of the most radioactive ones (e.g., > 10 ?Ci/g 137Cs). The isolates from the contaminated sediments and clone libraries from sediment DNA extracts were dominated by members related to known Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria most closely related to Arthrobacter species were the most common isolates among all samples but other high G+C phyla were also represented including Rhodococcus and Nocardia. Two isolates from the second most radioactive sample (>20 ?Ci 137Cs g-1) were closely related to Deinococcus radiodurans and were ablemore » to survive acute doses of ionizing radiation approaching 20kGy. Many of the Gram-positive isolates were resistant to lower levels of gamma radiation. These results demonstrate that Gram-positive bacteria, predominantly high G+C phyla, are indigenous to Hanford vadose sediments and some are effective at surviving the extreme physical and chemical stress associated with radioactive waste.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
860045
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-42098
Journal ID: ISSN 0099-2240; AEMIDF; KP1102010; TRN: US0504846
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 70; Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 0099-2240
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BACTERIA; DETECTION; DISTRIBUTION; DNA; GAMMA RADIATION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MICROORGANISMS; NOCARDIA; PLUMES; PROBES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RHODOCOCCUS; SEDIMENTS; TANKS; WASTES; vadose zone, ionizing radiation, cesium, radioactive waste, phylogeny, Arthrobacter, Deinococcus

Citation Formats

Fredrickson, Jim K, Zachara, John M, Balkwill, David L, Kennedy, David W, Li, Shu-Mei W, Kostandarithes, Heather M, Daly, Michael J, Romine, Margaret F, and Brockman, Fred J. Geomicrobiology of High Level Nuclear Waste-Contaminated Vadose Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington State. United States: N. p., 2004. Web. doi:10.1128/AEM.70.7.4230-4241.2004.
Fredrickson, Jim K, Zachara, John M, Balkwill, David L, Kennedy, David W, Li, Shu-Mei W, Kostandarithes, Heather M, Daly, Michael J, Romine, Margaret F, & Brockman, Fred J. Geomicrobiology of High Level Nuclear Waste-Contaminated Vadose Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington State. United States. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.70.7.4230-4241.2004
Fredrickson, Jim K, Zachara, John M, Balkwill, David L, Kennedy, David W, Li, Shu-Mei W, Kostandarithes, Heather M, Daly, Michael J, Romine, Margaret F, and Brockman, Fred J. 2004. "Geomicrobiology of High Level Nuclear Waste-Contaminated Vadose Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington State". United States. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.70.7.4230-4241.2004.
@article{osti_860045,
title = {Geomicrobiology of High Level Nuclear Waste-Contaminated Vadose Sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington State},
author = {Fredrickson, Jim K and Zachara, John M and Balkwill, David L and Kennedy, David W and Li, Shu-Mei W and Kostandarithes, Heather M and Daly, Michael J and Romine, Margaret F and Brockman, Fred J},
abstractNote = {Sediments from a high-level nuclear waste plume were collected as part of investigations to evaluate the potential fate and migration of contaminants in the subsurface. The plume originated from a leak that occurred in 1962 from a waste tank consisting of high concentrations of alkali, nitrate, aluminate, Cr(VI), 137Cs, and 99Tc. Investigations were initiated to determine the distribution of viable microorganisms in the vadose sediment samples, probe the phylogeny of cultivated and uncultivated members, and evaluate the ability of the cultivated organisms to survive acute doses of ionizing radiation. The populations of viable aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were generally low, from below detection to {approx}104 7 CFU g-1 but viable microorganisms were recovered from 11 of 16 samples including several of the most radioactive ones (e.g., > 10 ?Ci/g 137Cs). The isolates from the contaminated sediments and clone libraries from sediment DNA extracts were dominated by members related to known Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria most closely related to Arthrobacter species were the most common isolates among all samples but other high G+C phyla were also represented including Rhodococcus and Nocardia. Two isolates from the second most radioactive sample (>20 ?Ci 137Cs g-1) were closely related to Deinococcus radiodurans and were able to survive acute doses of ionizing radiation approaching 20kGy. Many of the Gram-positive isolates were resistant to lower levels of gamma radiation. These results demonstrate that Gram-positive bacteria, predominantly high G+C phyla, are indigenous to Hanford vadose sediments and some are effective at surviving the extreme physical and chemical stress associated with radioactive waste.},
doi = {10.1128/AEM.70.7.4230-4241.2004},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/860045}, journal = {Applied and Environmental Microbiology},
issn = {0099-2240},
number = 7,
volume = 70,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2004},
month = {Wed Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2004}
}