Sorption of plutonium to bacteria and fungi isolated from groundwater and clay samples

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 311; no. 2; pp. 1393 - 1399
• Main Authors: Lujanienė, Galina, Levinskaitė, Loreta, Kačergius, Audrius, Gavutis, Martynas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.02.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adsorption; Bacillus cereus; Bacteria; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Clay; Diagnostic Radiology; Fungi; Groundwater; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Microorganisms; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear environmental management; Nuclear Physics; Penicillium chrysogenum; Physical Chemistry; Plutonium; Radioactive pollution; Radioactive waste sites; Radioactive wastes; Sorption; Sorption; Fungi; Bacteria; Oxidation state distribution; Pu(V)
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-016-5016-x

Preliminary studies of Pu(V) sorption to site-specific microorganisms isolated from the Triassic clay selected as an engineered barrier for the near surface low and intermediate level radioactive waste repository and from groundwater at the expected site were carried out. Adsorption of Pu(V) by bacteria attained the maxima values of 82–84 % at pH 6–7. The maximum adsorption values of Pu of about 100 % were found for Penicillium chrysogenum at pH 4.1. Bioreduction of Pu(V) to Pu(IV) by Bacillus cereus was observed, while any Pu(III) was not found in the system.