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Cleaning Uranium Waste with Bacteria
Roland Piquepaille writes "Nuclear bombs can kill people even if they're not used. In the U.S. alone, the Department of Energy estimates that more than 2,500 billion liters of groundwater are contaminated with uranium as a consequence of nuclear weapons production. In "Uranium 'pearls' before slime," scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) say they discovered that some common bacteria could "convert deadly heavy metal into less threatening nano-spheres." In fact, these bacteria can convert soluble radioactive uranium into a non-toxic solid form called uraninite. Still, more research needs to be done before using these bacteria on a large scale, but it's a step in the good direction. Read more for additional references and photos showing how Shewanella oneidensis can help us to decontaminate groundwater at nuclear waste sites."
Maybe not quite a "Holy Grail," but a possible solution nonetheless. It seems like the spent fuel would have to be removed from the reactor as it is currently and transported to a safe storage location on or off site in order for the bacteria to have a controlled environment to work their alleged magic. But you'd also have to consider the type of fuel. It would likely take less time for bacteria to attack and transform nuclear pellets than fuel rods, because the pellets have a greater surface area to "attack."
It'd be interesting to get more information on how long it takes the bacteria to transform the material, the lifespan, and reproductive cycle of the bacteria. If you need a massive quantity, it may not be quite so feasible.