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Adsorption of radioactive metals by strongly magnetic iron sulfide nanoparticles produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria

Adsorption of radioactive metals by strongly magnetic iron sulfide nanoparticles produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria
Adsorption of radioactive metals by strongly magnetic iron sulfide nanoparticles produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria
The adsorption of a number of radioactive ions from solution by a strongly magnetic iron sulfide material was studied. The material was produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria in a novel bioreactor. The uptake was rapid and loading on the adsorbent was high due to the high surface area of the adsorbent and because many of the ions were chemisorbed. The structural properties were examined with high-resolution imaging and electron diffraction by transmission electron microscopy. The adsorbent surface area was determined to be 400-5OOm(2)/g by adsorption of heavy metals, the magnetic properties, neutron scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption of a number of radionuclides was examined at considerably lower concentration than in previous work with these adsorbent materials. A number of ions studied are of interest to the nuclear industry, particularly the pertechnetate ion (TcO4-). Tc-99 is a radionuclide thought to determine the long-term environmental impact of the nuclear fuel cycle because of its long half-life and because it occurs normally in the form of the highly soluble pertechnetate ion, which can enter the food chain. This bacteria-generated iron sulfide may provide a suitable matrix for the long-term safe storage of the pertechnetate ion. Also, because of the prevalence of the anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria worldwide and, in particular, in sediments, the release of radioactive heavy metals or toxic heavy metals into the environment could be engineered so that they are immobilized by sulfate-reducing bacteria or the adsorbents that they produce and removed from the food chain
2571-2607
Watson, J.H.P.
e4f7e9d2-6299-4626-bc44-1ee8545899e6
Croudace, I.W.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Warwick, P.E.
f2675d83-eee2-40c5-b53d-fbe437f401ef
James, P.A.B.
da0be14a-aa63-46a7-8646-a37f9a02a71b
Charnock, J.M.
d00ebdb2-43da-40a5-82e1-655bf8a09230
Ellwood, D.C.
a7dc8f2a-f392-42b4-a022-fa5a58cf6be6
Watson, J.H.P.
e4f7e9d2-6299-4626-bc44-1ee8545899e6
Croudace, I.W.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Warwick, P.E.
f2675d83-eee2-40c5-b53d-fbe437f401ef
James, P.A.B.
da0be14a-aa63-46a7-8646-a37f9a02a71b
Charnock, J.M.
d00ebdb2-43da-40a5-82e1-655bf8a09230
Ellwood, D.C.
a7dc8f2a-f392-42b4-a022-fa5a58cf6be6

Watson, J.H.P., Croudace, I.W., Warwick, P.E., James, P.A.B., Charnock, J.M. and Ellwood, D.C. (2001) Adsorption of radioactive metals by strongly magnetic iron sulfide nanoparticles produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria. Separation Science and Technology, 36 (12), 2571-2607. (doi:10.1081/SS-100107214).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The adsorption of a number of radioactive ions from solution by a strongly magnetic iron sulfide material was studied. The material was produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria in a novel bioreactor. The uptake was rapid and loading on the adsorbent was high due to the high surface area of the adsorbent and because many of the ions were chemisorbed. The structural properties were examined with high-resolution imaging and electron diffraction by transmission electron microscopy. The adsorbent surface area was determined to be 400-5OOm(2)/g by adsorption of heavy metals, the magnetic properties, neutron scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption of a number of radionuclides was examined at considerably lower concentration than in previous work with these adsorbent materials. A number of ions studied are of interest to the nuclear industry, particularly the pertechnetate ion (TcO4-). Tc-99 is a radionuclide thought to determine the long-term environmental impact of the nuclear fuel cycle because of its long half-life and because it occurs normally in the form of the highly soluble pertechnetate ion, which can enter the food chain. This bacteria-generated iron sulfide may provide a suitable matrix for the long-term safe storage of the pertechnetate ion. Also, because of the prevalence of the anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria worldwide and, in particular, in sediments, the release of radioactive heavy metals or toxic heavy metals into the environment could be engineered so that they are immobilized by sulfate-reducing bacteria or the adsorbents that they produce and removed from the food chain

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Published date: September 2001

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 53936
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/53936
PURE UUID: f72a1ecc-95b4-4ab4-9a8d-4c9ecab3a3f8
ORCID for P.E. Warwick: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8774-5125
ORCID for P.A.B. James: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2694-7054

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Date deposited: 22 Jul 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:49

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Contributors

Author: J.H.P. Watson
Author: I.W. Croudace
Author: P.E. Warwick ORCID iD
Author: P.A.B. James ORCID iD
Author: J.M. Charnock
Author: D.C. Ellwood

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