Removal of uranium (VI) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions using an indigenous mine consortium

dc.contributor.authorChabalala, Simphiwe
dc.contributor.authorChirwa, Evans M.N.
dc.contributor.emailsimphiwe.chabalala@gmail.comen_US
dc.date.accessioned2011-04-19T10:29:41Z
dc.date.available2011-04-19T10:29:41Z
dc.date.issued2010-05
dc.description.abstractBiological uranium removal was investigated using bacteria sourced from an uranium mine in Limpopo, South Africa. Background uranium concentration in the soil from the mine was determined to be 168 mg/kg using the ICP-OES calibrated against the uranium atomic absorption standard solution. Thus the bacteria isolated from the site were expected to be resistant to uranium-6 [U(VI)] toxicity. Preliminary studies using mixed cultures suggest that uranium reduction occurs under anaerobic conditions in most cases. U(VI) reduction by obligate aerobes isolated from the soil consortium was poor. The pure cultures namely; Pseudomonas sp., Pantoea sp. and Enterobacter sp. showed a high reduction rate at pH 5–6. The initial U(VI) reduction rate determined at 50% of added U(VI) was highest in the Pseudomonas sp. at 30 mg/L. Enterobacter sp. outperformed the other two species at 200 mg/L and 400 mg/L with a rate of 63 and 198 mg/L/h, respectively. Rapid reduction was observed in all cultures during the first 4–6 h of incubation with equilibrium conditions obtained only after incubation for 24 h. The results demonstrate the potential of microbial U(VI) reduction as an alternative technology to currently used physical/chemical processes for treatment and recovery of uranium in the nuclear industry.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe research was funded by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) through the NRF Focus Areas Grant No. FA2006031900007 awarded to Prof Evans M.N. Chirwa of the University of Pretoria. The student’s master’s programme was supported through a bursary from the South African Nuclear Human Asset & Research Programme (SANHARP).en_US
dc.identifier.citationChabalala, S & Chirwa, EMN 2010, 'Removal of uranium (VI) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions using an indigenous mine consortium', Minerals Engineering, vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 526-531. [http://www.elsevier.com/locate/mineng]en_US
dc.identifier.issn0892-6875
dc.identifier.issn1872-9444 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1016/j.mineng.2010.01.012
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/16325
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.rights© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.en_US
dc.subjectUranium(VI) reductionen_US
dc.subjectBiosorptionen_US
dc.subjectIndigenous cultureen_US
dc.subjectHigh-level waste bioremediationen_US
dc.subject.lcshUranium industry -- South Africaen
dc.subject.lcshMicrobial biotechnology -- South Africaen
dc.subject.lcshReduction (Chemistry)en
dc.titleRemoval of uranium (VI) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions using an indigenous mine consortiumen_US
dc.typePostprint Articleen_US

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