Bacteria turning uranium into stable compound

4 hours ago

Bacteria can immobilize uranium in contaminated water by converting dissolved uranium into a stable compound, FeU(V)O4, when provided with glycerol as a food source.
In experiments using water from a flooded uranium mine, bacteria removed nearly all dissolved uranium after 130 days, accumulating it in their cell walls and forming pentavalent uranium (U(V)), which is rare and typically short-lived.
The findings suggest that bacterial activity could be a tool for bioremediation of uranium contamination, though further research is needed to assess its reliability and stability in real-world environments.

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