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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2002, p. 2704-2710, Vol. 68, No. 6
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.6.2704-2710.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Immobilization of Radionuclides and Heavy Metals through Anaerobic Bio-Oxidation of Fe(II)

Joseph G. Lack,1 Swades K. Chaudhuri,1 Shelly D. Kelly,2 Kenneth M. Kemner,2 Susan M. O'Connor,1 and John D. Coates1*

Department of Microbiology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901,1 Environmental Research Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 604392

Received 17 October 2001/ Accepted 13 March 2002

Adsorption of heavy metals and radionuclides (HMR) onto iron and manganese oxides has long been recognized as an important reaction for the immobilization of these compounds. However, in environments containing elevated concentrations of these HMR the adsorptive capacity of the iron and manganese oxides may well be exceeded, and the HMR can migrate as soluble compounds in aqueous systems. Here we demonstrate the potential of a bioremediative strategy for HMR stabilization in reducing environments based on the recently described anaerobic nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidation by Dechlorosoma species. Bio-oxidation of 10 mM Fe(II) and precipitation of Fe(III) oxides by these organisms resulted in rapid adsorption and removal of 55 µM uranium and 81 µM cobalt from solution. The adsorptive capacity of the biogenic Fe(III) oxides was lower than that of abiotically produced Fe(III) oxides (100 µM for both metals), which may have been a result of steric hindrance by the microbial cells on the iron oxide surfaces. The binding capacity of the biogenic oxides for different heavy metals was indirectly correlated to the atomic radius of the bound element. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that the uranium was bound to the biogenically produced Fe(III) oxides as U(VI) and that the U(VI) formed bidentate and tridentate inner-sphere complexes with the Fe(III) oxide surfaces. Dechlorosoma suillum oxidation was specific for Fe(II), and the organism did not enzymatically oxidize U(IV) or Co(II). Small amounts (less than 2.5 µM) of Cr(III) were reoxidized by D. suillum; however, this appeared to be inversely dependent on the initial concentration of the Cr(III). The results of this study demonstrate the potential of this novel approach for stabilization and immobilization of HMR in the environment.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901. Phone: (618) 453-6132. Fax: (618) 453-8036. E-mail: jcoates{at}micro.siu.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2002, p. 2704-2710, Vol. 68, No. 6
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.6.2704-2710.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

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  • Weber, K. A., Pollock, J., Cole, K. A., O'Connor, S. M., Achenbach, L. A., Coates, J. D. (2006). Anaerobic Nitrate-Dependent Iron(II) Bio-Oxidation by a Novel Lithoautotrophic Betaproteobacterium, Strain 2002. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 686-694 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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