1
|
Xin J, Hong C, Wei J, Qie J, Wang H, Lei B, Li X, Cai Z, Kang Q, Zeng Z, Liu Y. A comprehensive review of radioactive pollution treatment of uranium mill tailings. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:102104-102128. [PMID: 37684506 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29401-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural uranium is a crucial resource for clean nuclear energy, which has brought significant economic and social benefits to humanity. However, the development and utilization of uranium resources have also resulted in the accumulation of vast amounts of uranium mill tailings (UMTs), which pose a potential threat to human health and the ecological environment. This paper reviews the research progress on UMTs treatment technologies, including cover disposal, solidification disposal, backfilling disposal, and bioremediation methods. It is found that cover disposal is a versatile method for the long-term management of UMTs, the engineering performance and durability of the cover system can be improved by choosing suitable stabilizers for the cover layer. Solidification disposal can convert UMTs into solid waste for permanent disposal, but it produces a large amount of waste and requires high operating costs; it is necessary to explore the effectiveness and efficiency of solidification disposal for UMTs, while minimizing the bad environmental impact. Backfilling disposal realizes the resource utilization of solid waste, but the high radon exhalation rate caused by the UMTs backfilling also needs to be considered. Bioremediation methods have low investment costs and are less likely to cause secondary pollution, but the remediation efficiency is low, it can be combined with other treatment technologies to remedy the defects of a single remediation method. The article concludes with key issues and corresponding suggestions for the current UMTs treatment methods, which can provide theoretical guidance and reference for further development and application of radioactive pollution treatment of UMTs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Xin
- School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Changshou Hong
- School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China.
| | - Jia Wei
- School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Jingwen Qie
- School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Hong Wang
- School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Bo Lei
- School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Xiangyang Li
- School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Ziqi Cai
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710000, China
| | - Qian Kang
- School of Emergency Management and Safety Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Zhiwei Zeng
- Department of Radiological Medicine and Environmental Medicine, China Institute for Radiation Protection, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Yong Liu
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518061, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lv Y, Tang C, Liu X, Chen B, Zhang M, Yan X, Hu X, Chen S, Zhu X. Stabilization and mechanism of uranium sequestration by a mixed culture consortia of sulfate-reducing and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 827:154216. [PMID: 35247412 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a highly efficient phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) (Pantoea sp. grinm-12) was screened out from uranium (U) tailings, and the carbon and nitrogen sources of mixed culture with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were optimized. Results showed that the functional expression of SRB-PSB could be promoted effectively when glucose + sodium lactate was used as carbon source and ammonium nitrate + ammonium sulfate as nitrogen source. The concentration of PO43- in the culture system could reach 107.27 mg·L-1, and the sulfate reduction rate was 81.72%. In the process of biological stabilization of U tailings by mixed SRB-PSB culture system, the chemical form of U in the remediation group was found to transfer to stable state with the extension of remediation time, which revealed the effectiveness of bioremediation on the harmless treatment of U tailings. XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, high-throughput sequencing, and metagenomics were also used to assist in revealing the microstructure and composition changes during the biological stabilization process, and explore the microbial community/functional gene response. Finally, the stabilization mechanism of U was proposed. In conclusion, the stabilization of U in U tailings was realized through the synergistic effect of bio-reduction, bio-precipitation, and bio-adsorption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Lv
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Chuiyun Tang
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRIMAT Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China.
| | - Bowei Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRIMAT Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China
| | - Mingjiang Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRIMAT Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China
| | - Xiao Yan
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Xuewu Hu
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Susu Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Xuezhe Zhu
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; GRINM Resources and Environment Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Beijing 100088, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nkuna R, Ijoma GN, Matambo TS. Applying EDTA in Chelating Excess Metal Ions to Improve Downstream DNA Recovery from Mine Tailings for Long-Read Amplicon Sequencing of Acidophilic Fungi Communities. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050419. [PMID: 35628675 PMCID: PMC9143545 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The hostile environment of mine tailings contains unique microbial life capable of bioleaching. The metagenomic analysis of such an environment provides an in-depth understanding of the microbial life and its potential, especially in biomining operations. However, DNA recovery from samples collected in those environments is challenging due to the presence of metal ions that interfere with the DNA analysis. A varied concentration of EDTA (4–13 µg/µL) to chelate the metal ions of enriched tailing samples prior to DNA extraction was performed. The results show that 9 µg/µL of EDTA was effective in most samples. However, the increasing concentration of EDTA negatively affected the DNA recovery. The sequencing of the successfully extracted DNA revealed a diverse range of fungal genera, some of which have not been previously reported in tailing or bioleaching applications. The dominant genera include Fodinomyces, Penicillium, Recurvomuces, Trichoderma, and Xenoacremonium; their traits were determined using the FungalTraits database. This study demonstrates the need to include a preliminary metal-chelating step using EDTA before DNA extractions for samples collected from metal-rich environments. It further showed the need for optimization but provided a benchmark range, particularly for tailings. However, we caution that a further EDTA removal step from the extracted DNA should be included to avoid its interferences in downstream applications.
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhu F, Zhao B, Min W, Li J. Characteristics of groundwater microbial communities and the correlation with the environmental factors in a decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1078393. [PMID: 36909843 PMCID: PMC9992980 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1078393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms play an important role in the bioremediation process for the decommissioned acid in-situ leaching uranium mine. It is crucial to understand the original microbial community characteristics before the in-situ bioremediation. However, there are limited studies on the groundwater microbial characteristics in the decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine. To this end, we collected groundwater samples, including the groundwater that originally residual in the borehole (RW) and the aquifer water (AW), from a decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine in the southern margin of Ili Basin in Xinjiang, China. The occurrence characteristics of the groundwater microbial communities and their correlation with environmental factors were systematically studied based on the high throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing data and geochemical data. Results found that the AW samples had higher alpha- and beta- diversity than the RW samples. The relative abundance of Sporosarcina, Sulfobacillus, Pedobacter and Pseudomonas were significantly different in the AW and RW samples, which had significant correlation with pH, metals, and sulfate, etc. A series of reducing microorganisms were discovered, such as sulfate reduction (e.g., Desulfosporosinus) and metal reduction (e.g., Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium, Pseudomonas, and Rhodanobacter), which have the potential to attenuate sulfate and uranium in groundwater. In addition, we found that pH and redox potential (Eh) were the dominant environmental factors affecting the microbial composition. This study extends our knowledge of microbial community structure changes in the decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine and has positive implications for assessing the potential of natural attenuation and bioremediation strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.,School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bei Zhao
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, China
| | - Wenwen Min
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.,School of Chemistry, Biology and Materials Science, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lv Y, Tang C, Liu X, Zhang M, Chen B, Hu X, Chen S, Zhu X. Optimization of Environmental Conditions for Microbial Stabilization of Uranium Tailings, and the Microbial Community Response. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:770206. [PMID: 34966366 PMCID: PMC8710664 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.770206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Uranium pollution in tailings and its decay products is a global environmental problem. It is of great significance to use economical and efficient technologies to remediate uranium-contaminated soil. In this study, the effects of pH, temperature, and inoculation volume on stabilization efficiency and microbial community response of uranium tailings were investigated by a single-factor batch experiment in the remediation process by mixed sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB, Pantoea sp. grinm-12). The results showed that the optimal parameters of microbial stabilization by mixed SRB-PSB were pH of 5.0, temperature of 25°C, and inoculation volume of 10%. Under the optimal conditions, the uranium in uranium tailings presented a tendency to transform from the acid-soluble state to residual state. In addition, the introduction of exogenous SRB-PSB can significantly increase the richness and diversity of endogenous microorganisms, effectively maintain the reductive environment for the microbial stabilization system, and promote the growth of functional microorganisms, such as sulfate-reducing bacteria (Desulfosporosinus and Desulfovibrio) and iron-reducing bacteria (Geobacter and Sedimentibacter). Finally, PCoA and CCA analyses showed that temperature and inoculation volume had significant effects on microbial community structure, and the influence order of the three environmental factors is as follows: inoculation volume > temperature > pH. The outcomes of this study provide theoretical support for the control of uranium in uranium-contaminated sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Lv
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- General Research Institute for Non-ferrous Metals, Beijing, China
| | - Chuiyun Tang
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- General Research Institute for Non-ferrous Metals, Beijing, China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRIMAT Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Mingjiang Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRIMAT Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Bowei Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRIMAT Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Xuewu Hu
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- General Research Institute for Non-ferrous Metals, Beijing, China
| | - Susu Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- General Research Institute for Non-ferrous Metals, Beijing, China
| | - Xuezhe Zhu
- National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-ferrous Metals, GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- GRINM Resources and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- General Research Institute for Non-ferrous Metals, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|