Enhanced Strontium Removal through Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation by Indigenous Ureolytic Bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Microbial ureolysis offers the potential to remove metals including Sr²⁺ as carbonate minerals via the generation of alkalinity coupled to NH₄⁺ and HCO₃^- production. Here, we investigated the potential for bacteria, indigenous to sediments representative of the U.K. Sellafield nuclear site where ⁹⁰Sr is present as a groundwater contaminant, to utilize urea in order to target Sr²⁺-associated (Ca)CO₃ formation in sediment microcosm studies. Strontium removal was enhanced in most sediments in the presence of urea only, coinciding with a significant pH increase. Adding the biostimulation agents acetate/lactate, Fe(III), and yeast extract to further enhance microbial metabolism, including ureolysis, enhanced

SUBMITTER: White-Pettigrew M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10961847 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature