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Microscopic and spectroscopic study of the uranium(VI) reduction by a sulfate-reducing microorganism

Hilpmann, S.; Steudtner, R.; Hübner, R.; Roßberg, A.; Prieur, D.; Bauters, S.; Kvashnina, K.; Stumpf, T.; Cherkouk, A.

INTRODUCTION

Clay rock is a possible host rock for the long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste and bentonites are a suitable backfill material for a final repository in clay rock and crystalline rock. For a comprehensive safety assessment of such a repository over a long period, different aspects must be taken into account. Besides intensive research regarding geological, geochemical and geophysical properties, these surroundings represent a habitat for naturally occurring microorganisms. In the event of a worst-case scenario, water can enter the repository. It is possible that microorganisms can interact with the radionuclides and thereby change the chemical speciation or the oxidation state by various processes.
Desulfosporosinus spp. play an important role as a representative of anaerobic, sulfate-reducing and spore-forming microorganisms. These bacteria occur in different clay formations as well as in bentonites.1,2 A very closely related bacterium to an isolated species from bentonite is Desulfosporosinus hippei DSM 8344, which was originally found in permafrost soils.3 Therefore, this strain was selected to get a more profound insight into the uranium(VI) interactions with naturally occurring microorganisms from deep geological layers by different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK

For the time-dependent experiments in artificial Opalinus Clay pore water4 (100/500 µM uranium(VI), pH 5.5) the cells were cultivated in specific media and harvested in the late exponential growing phase. After washing, suspensions containing cells, uranium(VI) and lactate, were incubated at room temperature and samples were taken between zero hours and one week.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The experiments showed the removal of about 80% of the uranium(VI) from the supernatants within 48 h at a concentration of 100 µM. Corresponding UV/Vis measurements of the dissolved cell pellets revealed an increasing proportion of uranium(IV) in the samples with time. After one week round about 40% of the uranium in the cell pellets was reduced. Therefore, the interaction mechanisms can be assigned to a combined sorption-reduction process.
TEM images of the uranium-incubated cells reveal the formation of uranium aggregates on the cell surface. Uranium can be found not only outside the cell in vesicles, but also inside the cell.
HERFD-XANES measurements show the presence of three oxidation states in the cell pellets. Besides uranium(VI) and uranium(IV), also uranium(V) plays a major role in the cellular reduction process. With the help of EXAFS measurements, three cell-related uranium species were detected.
This study helps to close existing gaps in a comprehensive safeguard concept for a final repository for high-level radioactive waste in clay rock. Moreover, new insights into the interaction mechanisms of sulfate-reducing microorganisms with uranium are presented.

REFERENCES

1. A. BAGNOUD et al., “Reconstructing a hydrogen-driven microbial metabolic network in Opalinus Clay rock” Nat. Commun., 7, 1-10 (2016).

2. N. MATSCHIVELLI et al., “The year-long development of microorganisms in uncompacted Bavarian bentonite slurries at 30 °C and 60 °C” Environ. Sci. Technol., 53, 10514-10524 (2019).

3. A. VATSURINA et al., “Desulfosporosinus hippei sp. nov., a mesophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from permafrost” Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 58, 1228-1232 (2008).

4. P. WERSIN et al., “Biogeochemical processes in a clay formation in situ experiment: Part A - Overview, experimental design and water data of an experiment in the Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory, Switzerland” Appl. Geochemistry, 26, 931-953 (2011).

Keywords: uranium(VI) reduction; sulfate-reducing microorganisms; Opalinus Clay

  • Poster (Online presentation)
    TransRet2020, 12.-13.10.2021, Karlsruhe, Deutschland

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Publ.-Id: 33409