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Title: Anaerobic Biotransformation and Mobility of Pu and of Pu-EDTA

Abstract

The enhanced mobility of radionuclides by co-disposed chelating agent, ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), is likely to occur only under anaerobic conditions. Our extensive effort to enrich and isolate anaerobic EDTA-degrading bacteria has failed. Others has tried and also failed. To explain the lack of anaerobic biodegradation of EDTA, we proposed that EDTA has to be transported into the cells for metabolism. A failure of uptake may contribute to the lack of EDTA degradation under anaerobic conditions. We demonstrated that an aerobic EDTA-degrading bacterium strain BNC1 uses an ABC-type transporter system to uptake EDTA. The system has a periplasmic binding protein that bind EDTA and then interacts with membrane proteins to transport EDTA into the cell at the expense of ATP. The bind protein EppA binds only free EDTA with a Kd of 25 nM. The low Kd value indicates high affinity. However, the Kd value of Ni-EDTA is 2.4 x 10^(-10) nM, indicating much stronger stability. Since Ni and other trace metals are essential for anaerobic respiration, we conclude that the added EDTA sequestrates all trace metals and making anaerobic respiration impossible. Thus, the data explain the lack of anaerobic enrichment cultures for EDTA degradation. Although we did not obtain an EDTAmore » degrading culture under anaerobic conditions, our finding may promote the use of certain metals that forms more stable metal-EDTA complexes than Pu(III)-EDTA to prevent the enhanced mobility. Further, our data explain why EDTA is the most dominant organic pollutant in surface waters, due to the lack of degradation of certain metal-EDTA complexes.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
967956
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/63974-1
TRN: US1001890
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-05ER63974
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AFFINITY; ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS; BACTERIA; BIODEGRADATION; CHELATING AGENTS; EDTA; MEMBRANE PROTEINS; METABOLISM; POLLUTANTS; PROTEINS; RADIOISOTOPES; RESPIRATION; STABILITY; STRAINS; SURFACE WATERS; TRANSPORT; radionuclides, chelating agents, EDTA, Plutonium

Citation Formats

Xun, Luying. Anaerobic Biotransformation and Mobility of Pu and of Pu-EDTA. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.2172/967956.
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Xun, Luying. Anaerobic Biotransformation and Mobility of Pu and of Pu-EDTA. United States. doi:10.2172/967956.
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Xun, Luying. Fri . "Anaerobic Biotransformation and Mobility of Pu and of Pu-EDTA". United States. doi:10.2172/967956. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/967956.
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@article{osti_967956,
title = {Anaerobic Biotransformation and Mobility of Pu and of Pu-EDTA},
author = {Xun, Luying},
abstractNote = {The enhanced mobility of radionuclides by co-disposed chelating agent, ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), is likely to occur only under anaerobic conditions. Our extensive effort to enrich and isolate anaerobic EDTA-degrading bacteria has failed. Others has tried and also failed. To explain the lack of anaerobic biodegradation of EDTA, we proposed that EDTA has to be transported into the cells for metabolism. A failure of uptake may contribute to the lack of EDTA degradation under anaerobic conditions. We demonstrated that an aerobic EDTA-degrading bacterium strain BNC1 uses an ABC-type transporter system to uptake EDTA. The system has a periplasmic binding protein that bind EDTA and then interacts with membrane proteins to transport EDTA into the cell at the expense of ATP. The bind protein EppA binds only free EDTA with a Kd of 25 nM. The low Kd value indicates high affinity. However, the Kd value of Ni-EDTA is 2.4 x 10^(-10) nM, indicating much stronger stability. Since Ni and other trace metals are essential for anaerobic respiration, we conclude that the added EDTA sequestrates all trace metals and making anaerobic respiration impossible. Thus, the data explain the lack of anaerobic enrichment cultures for EDTA degradation. Although we did not obtain an EDTA degrading culture under anaerobic conditions, our finding may promote the use of certain metals that forms more stable metal-EDTA complexes than Pu(III)-EDTA to prevent the enhanced mobility. Further, our data explain why EDTA is the most dominant organic pollutant in surface waters, due to the lack of degradation of certain metal-EDTA complexes.},
doi = {10.2172/967956},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 2009},
month = {Fri Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 2009}
}
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DOI:  10.2172/967956
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  • The objective of this report is to isolate anaerobic EDTA-degrading bacteria. Although our goal is to isolate anaerobic EDTA degraders, we initiated the experiments to include nitrilotriacetate (NTA), which is a structure homologue of EDTA. All the aerobic EDTA degraders can degrade NTA, but the isolated NTA degraders cannot degrade EDTA. Since NTA is a simpler structure homologue, it is likely that EDTA-degrading ability is evolved from NTA degradation. This hypothesis is further supported from our characterization of EDTA and NTA-degrading enzymes and genes (J. Bact. 179:1112-1116; and Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:688-695). The EDTA monooxygenase and NTA monooxygenase are highlymore » homologous. EDTA monooxygenase can use both EDTA and NTA as substrates, but NTA monooxygenase can only use NTA as a substrate. Thus, we put our effort to isolate both NTA and EDTA degraders. In case, an anaerobic EDTA degrader is not immediately enriched, we will try to evolve the NTA degraders to use EDTA. Both aerobic and anaerobic enrichment cultures were set.« less

  • Although our goal is to isolate anaerobic EDTA degraders, we initiated the experiments to include nitrilotriacetate (NTA), which is a structure homologue of EDTA. All the aerobic EDTA degraders can degrade NTA, but the isolated NTA degraders cannot degrade EDTA. Since NTA is a simpler structure homologue, it is likely that EDTA-degrading ability is evolved from NTA degradation. This hypothesis is further supported from our characterization of EDTA and NTA-degrading enzymes and genes (J. Bact. 179:1112-1116; and Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:688-695). The EDTA monooxygenase and NTA monooxygenase are highly homologous. EDTA monooxygenase can use both EDTA and NTA as substrates,more » but NTA monooxygenase can only use NTA as a substrate. Thus, we put our effort to isolate both NTA and EDTA degraders. In case, an anaerobic EDTA degrader is not immediately enriched, we will try to evolve the NTA degraders to use EDTA. Both aerobic and anaerobic enrichment cultures were set.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    The complexation of radionuclides (e.g., plutonium (Pu) and {sup 60}Co) by co-disposed ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) has enhanced their transport in sediments at DOE sites. Pu(IV)-EDTA is not stable in the presence of relatively soluble Fe(III) compounds. Since most DOE sites have Fe(III) containing sediments, Pu(IV) is likely not the mobile form of Pu-EDTA. The only other Pu-EDTA complex stable in groundwater relevant to DOE sites would be Pu(III)-EDTA, which only forms under anaerobic conditions. Research is therefore needed to investigate the biotransformation of Pu and Pu-EDTA under anaerobic conditions and the anaerobic biodegradation of Pu-EDTA. The biotransformation of Pu and Pu-EDTAmore » under various anaerobic regimes is poorly understood including the reduction kinetics of Pu(IV) to Pu(III) from soluble (Pu(IV)-EDTA) and insoluble Pu(IV), the redox conditions required for this reduction, the strength of the Pu(III)-EDTA, how the Pu(III)-EDTA competes with other dominant anoxic soluble metals (e.g., Fe(II)), and the oxidation kinetics of Pu(III)-EDTA. Finally, soluble Pu(III)-EDTA under anaerobic conditions would require anaerobic degradation of the EDTA to limit Pu(III) transport. Anaerobic EDTA degrading microorganisms have never been isolated. Recent results have shown that Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a dissimilatory metal reducing bacterium, can reduce Pu(IV) to Pu(III). The Pu(IV) was provided as insoluble PuO2. The highest rate of Pu(IV) reduction was with the addition of AQDS, an electron shuttle. Of the total amount of Pu solubilized (i.e., soluble through a 0.36 nm filter), approximately 70% was Pu(III). The amount of soluble Pu was between 4.8 and 3.2 micromolar at day 1 and 6, respectively, indicating rapid reduction. The micromolar Pu is significant since the drinking water limit for Pu is 10{sup -12} M. On-going experiments are investigating the influence of EDTA on the rate of Pu reduction and the stability of the formed Pu(III). We have also begun to enrich and isolate bacteria capable of aerobic and anaerobic degradation of EDTA. Environmental samples (e.g., sludges, river sediments) were incubated aerobically and anaerobically with EDTA or NTA as the sole carbon and energy source. Aerobic enrichment with EDTA has not resulted in any cultures, but NTA has provided several isolates. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequence and sequence comparison identified four separate strains closely related to Microbacterium oxydans, Aminobacter sp., Achromobacter sp., Aminobacter sp., respectively. Anaerobic enrichments with either EDTA or NTA are still in progress since metabolism and growth is relatively slow. In addition to the biotransformation experiments, studies are underway to determine/validate complexation constants of Pu(III) with EDTA and the influence of competing ions on Pu(III)-EDTA complexes. These data are being obtained through solubility studies of PuPO{sub 4}(s) and Pu(OH){sub 3}(s) as a function of time, pH, and EDTA and competing ion concentrations. These results have begun to fill-in knowledge gaps of how anaerobic conditions will influence Pu and Pu-EDTA fate and transport to assess, model, and design approaches to stop Pu transport in groundwater at DOE sites.« less

  • ; ;
    The complexation of radionuclides (e.g., plutonium (Pu) and {sup 60}Co) by codisposed ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) has enhanced their transport in sediments at DOE sites. Our previous NABIR research investigated the aerobic biodegradation and biogeochemistry of Pu(IV)-EDTA. Plutonium(IV) forms stable complexes with EDTA under aerobic conditions and an aerobic EDTA degrading bacterium can degrade EDTA in the presence of Pu and decrease Pu mobility. However, our recent studies indicate that while Pu(IV)-EDTA is stable in simple aqueous systems, it is not stable in the presence of relatively soluble Fe(III) compounds (i.e., Fe(OH){sub 3}(s)--2-line ferrihydrite). Since most DOE sites have Fe(III) containing sediments,more » Pu(IV) in likely not the mobile form of Pu-EDTA in groundwater. The only other Pu-EDTA complex stable in groundwater relevant to DOE sites would be Pu(III)-EDTA, which only forms under anaerobic conditions. Research is therefore needed in this brand new project to investigate the biotransformation of Pu and Pu-EDTA under anaerobic conditions. The biotransformation of Pu and Pu-EDTA under various anaerobic regimes is poorly understood including the reduction kinetics of Pu(IV) to Pu(III) from soluble (Pu(IV)-EDTA) and insoluble Pu(IV) as PuO2(am) by metal reducing bacteria, the redox conditions required for this reduction, the strength of the Pu(III)-EDTA complex, how the Pu(III)-EDTA complex competes with other dominant anoxic soluble metals (e.g., Fe(II)), and the oxidation kinetics of Pu(III)-EDTA. Finally, the formation of a stable soluble Pu(III)-EDTA complex under anaerobic conditions would require degradation of the EDTA complex to limit Pu(III) transport in geologic environments. Anaerobic EDTA degrading microorganisms have not been isolated. These knowledge gaps preclude the development of a mechanistic understanding of how anaerobic conditions will influence Pu and Pu-EDTA fate and transport to assess, model, and design approaches to stop Pu transport in groundwater at DOE sites.« less

  • ;
    Anaerobic conditions predominate in contaminated aquifers and are common in noncontaminated areas. Comparatively little is known about degradative processes and nutrient cycling under anaerobic conditions. However, it is apparent these processes are fundamentally different and more complex than comparable aerobic processes. Research in this area is critical to our understanding of the fate of contaminants in the subsurface environment and for the design and operation of efficient and effective treatment technologies. The objective of the research brief is to report the current status of research directed toward defining anaerobic microbial metabolic processes which occur in the subsurface environment.