Chapter 8 Bioremediation of Radiotoxic Elements under Natural Environmental Conditions

1. Introduction

1.1. Status of uranium use and pollution

1.2. Uranium compound toxicity

2. Treatment and reclamation of uranium

2.1. Physical-chemical treatment

2.2. Adsorptive/ion exchange processes

2.3. Membrane processes

2.4. Chemical extraction

2.5. Biological treatment processes

2.6. Biosorption

2.7. Bioaccumulation

2.8. Bioprecepitation

2.9. Bioreduction

2.10. Enzymatic U(VI) reduction

2.10.1. Desulfovibrio reductase

2.10.2. Geobacter reductase

2.10.3. Shawanella reductase

2.11. Permeable reactive barriers

3. Determination of U(VI)

4. Uranium (VI) reduction capability in pure cultures

5. Abiotic U(VI) reduction

6. U(VI) Reduction by non-purified cultures (Consortium)

7. Fate of reduced uranium species in a cell

8. Microbial characterisation and activity

8.1. Correlation of U(VI) reduction to enzyme activity

8.2. Culture composition analysis

9. U(VI) removal kinetics

9.1. Kinetic model adaptation

9.2. Uranium (VI) reduction under inhibiting conditions

9.3. Continuous flow systems

10. Conclusion

Nomenclature

Author details

References