Uranium reduction and microbial community development in response to stimulation with different electron donors

• Published in: Biodegradation (Dordrecht) Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 535 - 546
• Main Authors: Barlett, Melissa, Moon, Hee Sun, Peacock, Aaron A., Hedrick, David B., Williams, Kenneth H., Long, Philip E., Lovley, Derek, Jaffe, Peter R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetates; Acetic acid; Analysis; Aquatic Pollution; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - metabolism; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Community development; Electrons; Environment and pollution; Fatty acids; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geochemistry; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Groundwater - microbiology; Groundwater pollution; Hydrogen; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Life Sciences; Microbial activity; Microbial corrosion; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Original Paper; Oxidation-Reduction; Sediments (Geology); Soil Science & Conservation; Terrestrial Pollution; Uranium; Uranium - metabolism; Vegetable oils; Vegetables; Waste Management/Waste Technology; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water, Underground; Electron donors; Uranium reduction; Subsurface; Microbial community structure; Biodegradation; Reduction; Uranium; Stimulation; Structure; Microbial community; Electron donor
• ISSN: 0923-9820; 1572-9729
• DOI: 10.1007/s10532-011-9531-8

Stimulating microbial reduction of soluble U(VI) to less soluble U(IV) shows promise as an in situ bioremediation strategy for uranium contaminated groundwater, but the optimal electron donors for promoting this process have yet to be identified. The purpose of this study was to better understand how the addition of various electron donors to uranium-contaminated subsurface sediments affected U(VI) reduction and the composition of the microbial community. The simple electron donors, acetate or lactate, or the more complex donors, hydrogen-release compound (HRC) or vegetable oil, were added to the sediments incubated in flow-through columns. The composition of the microbial communities was evaluated with quantitative PCR probing specific 16S rRNA genes and functional genes, phospholipid fatty acid analysis, and clone libraries. All the electron donors promoted U(VI) removal, even though the composition of the microbial communities was different with each donor. In general, the overall biomass, rather than the specific bacterial species, was the factor most related to U(VI) removal. Vegetable oil and HRC were more effective in stimulating U(VI) removal than acetate. These results suggest that the addition of more complex organic electron donors could be an excellent option for in situ bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater.