1
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Zhang Y, Xie X, Sun S, Wang Y. Arsenic transformation and redistribution in groundwater induced by the complex geochemical cycling of iron and sulfur. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 894:164941. [PMID: 37343891 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Iron (hydr)oxides are effective sorbents of arsenic that undergo reductive dissolution when exposed to dissolved sulfide, which significantly impacts the movement and repartition of arsenic in groundwater. This study investigated the sulfidation of As-bearing ferrihydrite and its consequences on arsenic repartitioning as well as formation and transformation of secondary minerals induced by sulfide in batch experiments. The sulfidation of As(III) and As(V) adsorbed on ferrihydrite shows very different results. In the As(V) system, sulfidation resulted in the production of significant amounts of elemental sulfur (S0) and Fe2+, and Fe2+ and sulfide combine to form mackinawite. Subsequently, Fe2+ adsorbed and catalyzed the conversion of residual ferrihydrite to lepidocrocite. However, in the As(III) system, As(III) was protonated in the presence of sulfide to produce thioarsenate, which accounted for 87.9 % of the total aqueous arsenic concentration. The formation of thioarsenate also consumed the S0 produced by the sulfidation, resulting in no detectable S0 during solid phase characterization. The adsorption of thioarsenate on iron minerals notably affected the surface charge density of ferrihydrite, hindering the further formation of secondary minerals. Studies on the influence of thiolation on As-Fe-S system are of great significance for understanding the migration and redistribution of arsenic in groundwater systems under sulfur-rich conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xianjun Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 430074 Wuhan, China.
| | - Shutang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 430074 Wuhan, China
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2
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Wang Q, Wang J, Wang X, Kumar N, Pan Z, Peiffer S, Wang Z. Transformations of Ferrihydrite-Extracellular Polymeric Substance Coprecipitates Driven by Dissolved Sulfide: Interrelated Effects of Carbon and Sulfur Loadings. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:4342-4353. [PMID: 36864006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The association of poorly crystalline iron (hydr)oxides with organic matter (OM), such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), exerts a profound effect on Fe and C cycles in soils and sediments, and their behaviors under sulfate-reducing conditions involve complicated mineralogical transformations. However, how different loadings and types of EPS and water chemistry conditions affect the sulfidation still lacks quantitative and systematic investigation. We here synthesized a set of ferrihydrite-organic matter (Fh-OM) coprecipitates with various model compounds for plant and microbial exopolysaccharides (polygalacturonic acids, alginic acid, and xanthan gum) and bacteriogenic EPS (extracted from Bacillus subtilis). Combining wet chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopic techniques, we systematically studied the impacts of C and S loadings by tracing the temporal evolution of Fe mineralogy and speciation in aqueous and solid phases. Our results showed that the effect of added OM on sulfidation of Fh-OM coprecipitates is interrelated with the amount of loaded sulfide. Under low sulfide loadings (S(-II)/Fe < 0.5), transformation to goethite and lepidocrocite was the main pathway of ferrihydrite sulfidation, which occurs more strongly at pH 6 compared to that at pH 7.5, and it was promoted and inhibited at low and high C/Fe ratios, respectively. While under high sulfide loadings (S(-II)/Fe > 0.5), the formation of secondary Fe-S minerals such as mackinawite and pyrite dominated ferrihydrite sulfidation, and it was inhibited with increasing C/Fe ratios. Furthermore, all three synthetic EPS proxies unanimously inhibited mineral transformation, while the microbiogenic EPS has a more potent inhibitory effect than synthetic EPS proxies compared at equivalent C/Fe loadings. Collectively, our results suggest that the quantity and chemical characteristics of the associated OM have a strong and nonlinear influence on the extent and pathways of mineralogical transformations of Fh-OM sulfidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihuang Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xingxing Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Naresh Kumar
- Soil Chemistry and Chemical Soil Quality, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708, The Netherlands
| | - Zezhen Pan
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Stefan Peiffer
- Department of Hydrology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Zimeng Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200433, China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Shanghai 200433, China
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3
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Nie M, Li X, Ding Y, Pan Y, Cai Y, Liu Y, Liu J. Effect of Stoichiometry on Nanomagnetite Sulfidation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:3002-3011. [PMID: 36745694 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Magnetite (Mt) has long been regarded as a stable phase with a low reactivity toward dissolved sulfide, but natural Mt with varying stoichiometries (the structural Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratio, xstru) might exhibit distinct reactivities in sulfidation. How Mt stoichiometry affects its sulfidation processes and products remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that xstru is a master variable controlling the rates and extents of sulfide oxidation by magnetite nanoparticles (11 ± 2 nm). At pH = 7.0-8.0 and the initial Fe/S molar ratio of 10-50, the partially oxidized magnetite (xstru = 0.19-0.43) can oxidize dissolved sulfide to elemental sulfur (S0), but only surface adsorption of sulfide, without interfacial electron transfer (IET), occurs on the nearly stoichiometric magnetite (xstru = 0.47). The higher initial rate and extent of sulfide oxidation and S0 production are observed with the more oxidized magnetite that has the higher electron-accepting capability from surface-complexed sulfide (S(-II)(s)). The FeS clusters formed from magnetite sulfidation can be oxidized by the most oxidized magnetite with xstru = 0.19 but not by other magnetite particles. A linear relationship between the Gibbs free energy of reaction and the surface area-normalized initial rate of sulfide oxidation is observed in all experiments under the different conditions, suggesting the S(-II)(s)-magnetite IET dominates magnetite sulfidation at high Fe/S molar ratios and near-neutral pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjun Nie
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Xiaoxu Li
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Yuefei Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Yuguan Pan
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing210023, China
| | - Yuanfeng Cai
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing210023, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry (Ministry of Education), School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing210023, China
| | - Juan Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
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4
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Zelenina D, Kuzmenkova N, Sobolev D, Boldyrev K, Namsaraev Z, Artemiev G, Samylina O, Popova N, Safonov A. Biogeochemical Factors of Cs, Sr, U, Pu Immobilization in Bottom Sediments of the Upa River, Located in the Zone of Chernobyl Accident. BIOLOGY 2022; 12:biology12010010. [PMID: 36671703 PMCID: PMC9854679 DOI: 10.3390/biology12010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Laboratory modeling of Cs, Sr, U, Pu immobilization by phytoplankton of the river Upa, affected after the Chernobyl accident, has been carried out. Certain conditions are selected for strong fixation of radionuclides in bottom sediments due to biogeochemical processes. The process of radionuclide removal from the water phase via precipitation was based on their accumulation by phytoplankton, stimulated by nitrogen and phosphorus sources. After eight days of stimulation, planktonic phototrophic biomass, dominated by cyanobacteria of the genus Planktothrix, appears in the water sample. The effectiveness of U, Pu and Sr purification via their transfer to bottom sediment was observed within one month. The addition of ammonium sulfate and phosphate (Ammophos) led to the activation of sulfate- and iron-reducing bacteria of the genera Desulfobacterota, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfosporomusa, Desulfosporosinus, Thermodesulfobium, Thiomonas, Thiobacillus, Sulfuritallea, Pseudomonas, which form sulphide ferrous precipitates such as pyrite, wurtzite, hydrotroillite, etc., in anaerobic bottom sediments. The biogenic mineral composition of the sediments obtained under laboratory conditions was verified via thermodynamic modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Zelenina
- A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, RAS, Obrucheva Str. 40, Moscow 117342, Russia
| | - Natalia Kuzmenkova
- Radiochemistry Division, Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991, Russia
- V. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, RAS, Kosygina Str. 19, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Denis Sobolev
- Nuclear Safety Institute, RAS, Bolshaya Tulskaya St. 52, Moscow 115191, Russia
| | - Kirill Boldyrev
- Nuclear Safety Institute, RAS, Bolshaya Tulskaya St. 52, Moscow 115191, Russia
| | - Zorigto Namsaraev
- Kurchatov Centre for Genome Research, NRC Kurchatov Institute, Akad. Kurchatov Sq., 2, Moscow 123098, Russia
| | - Grigoriy Artemiev
- A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, RAS, Obrucheva Str. 40, Moscow 117342, Russia
| | - Olga Samylina
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Centre for Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60-Letiya Oktyabrya 7/2, Moscow 117312, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Popova
- A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, RAS, Obrucheva Str. 40, Moscow 117342, Russia
| | - Alexey Safonov
- A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, RAS, Obrucheva Str. 40, Moscow 117342, Russia
- Correspondence:
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5
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Stagg O, Morris K, Townsend LT, Kvashnina KO, Baker ML, Dempsey RL, Abrahamsen-Mills L, Shaw S. Sulfidation and Reoxidation of U(VI)-Incorporated Goethite: Implications for U Retention during Sub-Surface Redox Cycling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:17643-17652. [PMID: 36449568 PMCID: PMC9775214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Over 60 years of nuclear activity have resulted in a global legacy of contaminated land and radioactive waste. Uranium (U) is a significant component of this legacy and is present in radioactive wastes and at many contaminated sites. U-incorporated iron (oxyhydr)oxides may provide a long-term barrier to U migration in the environment. However, reductive dissolution of iron (oxyhydr)oxides can occur on reaction with aqueous sulfide (sulfidation), a common environmental species, due to the microbial reduction of sulfate. In this work, U(VI)-goethite was initially reacted with aqueous sulfide, followed by a reoxidation reaction, to further understand the long-term fate of U species under fluctuating environmental conditions. Over the first day of sulfidation, a transient release of aqueous U was observed, likely due to intermediate uranyl(VI)-persulfide species. Despite this, overall U was retained in the solid phase, with the formation of nanocrystalline U(IV)O2 in the sulfidized system along with a persistent U(V) component. On reoxidation, U was associated with an iron (oxyhydr)oxide phase either as an adsorbed uranyl (approximately 65%) or an incorporated U (35%) species. These findings support the overarching concept of iron (oxyhydr)oxides acting as a barrier to U migration in the environment, even under fluctuating redox conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olwen Stagg
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Katherine Morris
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Luke Thomas Townsend
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Kristina O. Kvashnina
- The
Rossendorf Beamline at ESRF—The European Synchrotron, CS40220, Grenoble Cedex 938043France
- Institute
of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden
Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden01314, Germany
| | - Michael L. Baker
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, U.K.
- The
University of Manchester at Harwell, The University of Manchester, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Campus, DidcotOX11 0DE, U.K.
| | - Ryan L. Dempsey
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, U.K.
| | | | - Samuel Shaw
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, U.K.
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6
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Ho MS, Vettese GF, Morris K, Lloyd JR, Boothman C, Bower WR, Shaw S, Law GTW. Retention of immobile Se(0) in flow-through aquifer column systems during bioreduction and oxic-remobilization. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 834:155332. [PMID: 35460788 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is a toxic contaminant with multiple anthropogenic sources, including 79Se from nuclear fission. Se mobility in the geosphere is generally governed by its oxidation state, therefore understanding Se speciation under variable redox conditions is important for the safe management of Se contaminated sites. Here, we investigate Se behavior in sediment groundwater column systems. Experiments were conducted with environmentally relevant Se concentrations, using a range of groundwater compositions, and the impact of electron-donor (i.e., biostimulation) and groundwater sulfate addition was examined over a period of 170 days. X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy and standard geochemical techniques were used to track changes in sediment associated Se concentration and speciation. Electron-donor amended systems with and without added sulfate retained up to 90% of added Se(VI)(aq), with sediment associated Se speciation dominated by trigonal Se(0) and possibly trace Se(-II); no Se colloid formation was observed. The remobilization potential of the sediment associated Se species was then tested in reoxidation and seawater intrusion perturbation experiments. In all treatments, sediment associated Se (i.e., trigonal Se(0)) was largely resistant to remobilization over the timescale of the experiments (170 days). However, in the perturbation experiments, less Se was remobilized from sulfidic sediments, suggesting that previous sulfate-reducing conditions may buffer Se against remobilization and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallory S Ho
- Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Gianni F Vettese
- Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Katherine Morris
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Jonathan R Lloyd
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Christopher Boothman
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - William R Bower
- Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Samuel Shaw
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Gareth T W Law
- Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland.
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7
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Evidence for in-situ electric-induced uranium incorporation into magnetite crystal in acidic wastewater. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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8
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Neptunium and Uranium Interactions with Environmentally and Industrially Relevant Iron Minerals. MINERALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/min12020165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neptunium (237Np) is an important radionuclide in the nuclear fuel cycle in areas such as effluent treatment and the geodisposal of radioactive waste. Due to neptunium’s redox sensitivity and its tendency to adsorb strongly to mineral phases, such as iron oxides/sulfides, the environmental mobility of Np can be altered significantly by a wide variety of chemical processes. Here, Np interactions with key iron minerals, ferrihydrite (Fe5O8H·4H2O), goethite (α-FeOOH), and mackinawite (FeS), are investigated using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) in order to explore the mobility of neptunyl(V) (Np(V)O2+) moiety in environmental (radioactive waste disposal) and industrial (effluent treatment plant) scenarios. Analysis of the Np LIII-edge X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES) and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) showed that upon exposure to goethite and ferrihydrite, Np(V) adsorbed to the surface, likely as an inner-sphere complex. Interestingly, analysis showed that only the first two shells (Oax and Oeq) of the EXAFS could be modelled with a high degree of confidence, and there was no clear indication of Fe or carbonate in the fits. When Np(V)O2+ was added to a mackinawite-containing system, Np(V) was reduced to Np(IV) and formed a nanocrystalline Np(IV)O2 solid. An analogous experiment was also performed with U(VI)O22+, and a similar reduction was observed, with U(VI) being reduced to nanocrystalline uraninite (U(IV)O2). These results highlight that Np(V) may undergo a variety of speciation changes in environmental and engineered systems whilst also highlighting the need for multi-technique approaches to speciation determination for actinyl (for example, Np(V)O2+) species.
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9
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Townsend LT, Kuippers G, Lloyd JR, Natrajan LS, Boothman C, Mosselmans JFW, Shaw S, Morris K. Biogenic Sulfidation of U(VI) and Ferrihydrite Mediated by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria at Elevated pH. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2021; 5:3075-3086. [PMID: 34825123 PMCID: PMC8607498 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Globally, the need for radioactive waste disposal and contaminated land management is clear. Here, gaining an improved understanding of how biogeochemical processes, such as Fe(III) and sulfate reduction, may control the environmental mobility of radionuclides is important. Uranium (U), typically the most abundant radionuclide by mass in radioactive wastes and contaminated land scenarios, may have its environmental mobility impacted by biogeochemical processes within the subsurface. This study investigated the fate of U(VI) in an alkaline (pH ∼9.6) sulfate-reducing enrichment culture obtained from a high-pH environment. To explore the mobility of U(VI) under alkaline conditions where iron minerals are ubiquitous, a range of conditions were tested, including high (30 mM) and low (1 mM) carbonate concentrations and the presence and absence of Fe(III). At high carbonate concentrations, the pH was buffered to approximately pH 9.6, which delayed the onset of sulfate reduction and meant that the reduction of U(VI)(aq) to poorly soluble U(IV)(s) was slowed. Low carbonate conditions allowed microbial sulfate reduction to proceed and caused the pH to fall to ∼7.5. This drop in pH was likely due to the presence of volatile fatty acids from the microbial respiration of gluconate. Here, aqueous sulfide accumulated and U was removed from solution as a mixture of U(IV) and U(VI) phosphate species. In addition, sulfate-reducing bacteria, such as Desulfosporosinus species, were enriched during development of sulfate-reducing conditions. Results highlight the impact of carbonate concentrations on U speciation and solubility in alkaline conditions, informing intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal and radioactively contaminated land management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke T. Townsend
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
School of Natural Sciences, The University
of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Gina Kuippers
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
School of Natural Sciences, The University
of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Jonathan R. Lloyd
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
School of Natural Sciences, The University
of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Louise S. Natrajan
- Centre
for Radiochemistry Research, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural
Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Christopher Boothman
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
School of Natural Sciences, The University
of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - J. Frederick W. Mosselmans
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Diamond
House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, U.K.
| | - Samuel Shaw
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
School of Natural Sciences, The University
of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Katherine Morris
- Research
Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular
Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
School of Natural Sciences, The University
of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
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10
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Lv SY, Li M, Wu XY, Zhang XW, Hua YL, Bi L, Fang Q, Cai T. A non-polluting method for rapidly purifying uranium-containing wastewater and efficiently recovering uranium through electrochemical mineralization and oxidative roasting. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 416:125885. [PMID: 34492823 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Iron-based materials have been widely used for treating uranium-containing wastewater. However, the iron-uranium solids originating by treating radioactive water through pollutant transfer methods has become a new uncontrolled source of persistent radioactive pollution. The safe disposal of such hazardous waste is not yet well-resolved. The electrochemical mineralization method was developed to rapidly purify uranium-containing wastewater through lattice doping in magnetite and recover uranium without generating any pollutants. An unexpected isolation of U3O8 from uranium-doped magnetite was discovered through in-situ XRD with a temperature variation from 300 °C to 700 °C. Through HRTEM and DFT calculation, it was confirmed that the destruction of the inverse spinel crystal structure during the gradual transformation of magnetite into γ-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3 promoted the migration, aggregation, and isolation of uranium atoms. Uniquely generated U3O8 and Fe2O3 were easily separated and over 80% uranium and 99.5% iron could be recovered. These results demonstrate a new strategy for uranium utilization and the environmentally friendly treatment of uranium-containing wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Yan Lv
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Mi Li
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China; Hengyang Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.
| | - Xiao-Yan Wu
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Xiao-Wen Zhang
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Yi-Long Hua
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Lei Bi
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Qi Fang
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Tao Cai
- School of Resource & Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
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11
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Townsend LT, Morris K, Harrison R, Schacherl B, Vitova T, Kovarik L, Pearce CI, Mosselmans JFW, Shaw S. Sulfidation of magnetite with incorporated uranium. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 276:130117. [PMID: 34088087 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Uranium (U) is a radionuclide of key environmental interest due its abundance by mass within radioactive waste and presence in contaminated land scenarios. Ubiquitously present iron (oxyhydr)oxide mineral phases, such as (nano)magnetite, have been identified as candidates for immobilisation of U via incorporation into the mineral structure. Studies of how biogeochemical processes, such as sulfidation from the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria, may affect iron (oxyhydr)oxides and impact radionuclide mobility are important in order to underpin geological disposal of radioactive waste and manage radioactively contaminated land. Here, this study utilised a highly controlled abiotic method for sulfidation of U(V) incorporated into nanomagnetite to determine the fate and speciation of U. Upon sulfidation, transient release of U into solution occurred (∼8.6% total U) for up to 3 days, despite the highly reducing conditions. As the system evolved, lepidocrocite was observed to form over a period of days to weeks. After 10 months, XAS and geochemical data showed all U was partitioned to the solid phase, as both nanoparticulate uraninite (U(IV)O2) and a percentage of retained U(V). Further EXAFS analysis showed incorporation of the residual U(V) fraction into an iron (oxyhydr)oxide mineral phase, likely nanomagnetite or lepidocrocite. Overall, these results provide new insights into the stability of U(V) incorporated iron (oxyhydr)oxides during sulfidation, confirming the longer term retention of U in the solid phase under complex, environmentally relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke T Townsend
- Research Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Katherine Morris
- Research Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Robert Harrison
- School of Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Bianca Schacherl
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (KIT-INE), P.O. Box 3640, D-76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Tonya Vitova
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (KIT-INE), P.O. Box 3640, D-76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Libor Kovarik
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
| | - Carolyn I Pearce
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
| | - J Frederick W Mosselmans
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Samuel Shaw
- Research Centre for Radwaste Disposal and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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Ma B, Fernandez-Martinez A, Kang M, Wang K, Lewis AR, Maffeis TGG, Findling N, Salas-Colera E, Tisserand D, Bureau S, Charlet L. Influence of Surface Compositions on the Reactivity of Pyrite toward Aqueous U(VI). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:8104-8114. [PMID: 32469204 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pyrite plays a significant role in governing the mobility of toxic uranium in an anaerobic environment via an oxidation-reduction process occurring at the mineral-water interface, but the factors influencing the reaction kinetics remain poorly understood. In this study, natural pyrites with different impurities (Pb, As, and Si) and different surface pretreatments were used to react with aqueous U(VI) from pH ∼3.0 to ∼9.5. Both aqueous and solid results indicated that freshly crushed pyrites, which do have more surface Fe2+/Fe3+ and S2- sites that were generated from breakage of Fe(S)-S bonds during ball milling, exhibited a much stronger reactivity than those treated with acid washing. Besides, U(VI) reduction which involves the possible intermediate U(V) and the formation of hyperstoichiometric UO2+x(s) was found to preferentially occur at Pb- and As-rich spots on the pyrite surface, suggesting that the incorporated impurities could act as reactive sites because of the generation of lattice defects and galena- and arsenopyrite-like local configurations. These reactive surface sites can be removed by acid washing, leaving a pyrite surface nearly inert toward aqueous U(VI). Thus, reactivity of pyrite toward U(VI) is largely governed by its surface compositions, which provides an insight into the chemical behavior of both pyrite and uranium in various environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Ma
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Mingliang Kang
- Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, 519082 Zhuhai, China
| | - Kaifeng Wang
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Decommissioning Engineering Technology Center, China Institute of Atomic Energy, 102413 Beijing, China
| | - Aled R Lewis
- Systems and Process Engineering Centre, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Fabian Way, SA1 8EN Swansea, U.K
| | - Thierry G G Maffeis
- Systems and Process Engineering Centre, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Fabian Way, SA1 8EN Swansea, U.K
| | - Nathaniel Findling
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Eduardo Salas-Colera
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Spanish CRG BM25 SpLine Beamline at the ESRF, 71 Avenue de Martyrs, F-38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Delphine Tisserand
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sarah Bureau
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Laurent Charlet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
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