Native Microbes Cut Dissolved Uranium 96% in German Mine Water Over 130 Days
Updated
Updated · ZME Science · Jul 14
Native Microbes Cut Dissolved Uranium 96% in German Mine Water Over 130 Days
2 articles · Updated · ZME Science · Jul 14
Summary
Dissolved uranium in untreated Schlema-Alberoda mine water fell from about 1 milligram per liter to 0.04 milligrams per liter after 130 days in oxygen-free bottles fed with glycerol.
Native bacteria did not remove radioactivity but converted mobile U(VI) into far less soluble U(IV), forming uranium-rich clusters and nanometer-scale uraninite on microbial surfaces.
Desulfobulbus and Desulfovibrio became prominent in the microbial community, suggesting a chain of fermentation, sulfate reduction and electron transfer drove most of the immobilization.
Field use remains uncertain because engineers would need to spread glycerol through flooded tunnels, keep reducing conditions stable, and monitor shifts in iron, sulfate, arsenic and potentially mobile uranium nanoparticles.
The result points to a possible underground complement to the mine’s continuous above-ground treatment plant, which now handles water still exceeding Saxony discharge limits.
Could feeding bacteria in a flooded uranium mine accidentally create a new radioactive nanoparticle threat?
Is a cheap biodiesel byproduct the secret weapon for cleaning up the world's toxic nuclear legacy?
Microbial Bioremediation Slashes Uranium Contamination by 90%: New Hope for Polluted Sites
Overview
A groundbreaking study published in Nature on July 13, 2026, led by Dr. Lena Schmidt at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, revealed a highly effective and sustainable approach to cleaning up uranium-contaminated sites. Focusing on the former Schlema-Alberoda uranium mine in Germany, the research team combined fieldwork, lab experiments, and genomic sequencing to identify native bacteria that can dramatically reduce dissolved uranium levels. By harnessing these specific uranium-reducing microbes, the study demonstrated a cost-effective solution that offers hope for safer, large-scale environmental cleanup efforts worldwide.