German scientists discovered naturally occurring microbes that removed 95% of dissolved uranium from contaminated water |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

A team of scientists has uncovered a naturally occurring microbial process that could change how uranium-contaminated water is cleaned up. Studying bacteria living in the flooded Königstein uranium mine in Germany, the researchers discovered that certain microorganisms can transform highly soluble uranium into a rare, stable mineral that remains locked in place instead of spreading through groundwater. In laboratory experiments, the microbes removed around 95% of dissolved uranium over 130 days, raising the possibility of using naturally occurring bacteria as an environmentally friendly tool for remediating radioactive pollution. The findings provide fresh insight into how microbial communities influence uranium chemistry and could help shape future clean-up strategies for contaminated mine sites and aquifers worldwide.

The research “Pentavalent and tetravalent uranium formation via glycerol-stimulated bacteria in mine water“, published in Nature Communications, focused on microbial communities naturally inhabiting water inside the flooded Königstein uranium mine in eastern Germany. Rather than introducing engineered organisms, the team investigated bacteria that had already adapted to living in an environment heavily contaminated with uranium.When supplied with glycerol under oxygen-limited conditions, these microbes triggered a previously unknown sequence of chemical reactions. Instead of leaving uranium dissolved in the water, they converted it into FeU^(V)O₄, a rare iron-uranium mineral containing pentavalent uranium. Advanced X-ray spectroscopy and electron microscopy showed that the bacteria also produced tetravalent uranium before incorporating the radioactive element into mineral deposits associated with their cell walls.By the end of the 130-day experiment, approximately 95% of the dissolved uranium had been removed from the mine water.