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Uranium Eating Bacteria Help Cold War Cleanup

Posted by timothy on from the until-they-awaken-and-attack-us dept.

Shipud writes "Scientists from UMA have used metal-metablozing bacteria, Geobacter, to "eat" uranium. The uranium is converted from a soluble form to an insoluble one, thus preventing water contamination. Cold-war era uranium processing has left many contaminated sites in the US, and worldwide. Details are here."

7 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Radioactivity vs. Toxicity by Henry+V+.009 · · Score: 2, Informative

    I notice this is mainly talking about the toxicity of uranium. This makes me think that depleted uranium from munitions might be a main target for cleanup. It is a heavy metal and all, but I wonder how dangerous it really is once you get past all the media crackpottery on the subject.

    1. Re:Radioactivity vs. Toxicity by KnightNavro · · Score: 3, Informative
      You're probably correct; the bugs are there to get rid of U because it's toxic. I did my senior design project on U removal from drinking water. The stuff poses a much greater threat as a heavy metal than as a radioactive atom when injected. The microbes wouldn't do anything to the atomic structure of the atoms, and hence do nothing to reduce radiation, but making it insoluble removes it from drinking water and makes it less mobile.

      Of course, I said pretty much the same thing when the story was run two months ago.

  2. What about the poor bacteria?! by psyconaut · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nobody spared a thought for the fact the bacteria's children are born with three heads and only one leg due to the radioactivity!

    -psy

  3. Obligatory UF link by erpbridge · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yellow Cake. Wonder if the bacteria will grow up to look/act like Hastur?

    Egads, I hope not!

  4. I, for one... by inertia187 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new Uranium Eating Bacterial overloads.

    --
    A programmer is a machine for converting coffee into code.
  5. Re:Let me see if I understand this. by TheNarrator · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Uranium has to go somewhere. I guess you could say before it was mined it was in the mountain and the "mountain" was contaminated for millions of years. The point is, if you bury the stuff and it has no chance of getting in the ground water its as harmless as its ever going to get.

  6. Re:Excellent by KDan · · Score: 2, Informative

    Solubility is the major concern. The fact that they are radioactive is irrelevant when they're stuck in those bunkers deep underground. The problem is when they dissolve slowly into the underground lakes and such, which currently happens no matter where they're stored. That the bacteria make the Uranium insoluble is a major breakthrough.

    Daniel

    --
    Carpe Diem