Bacteria Lock 95% of Dissolved Uranium Into Stable FeU(V)O4 in Mine Water
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · Jul 12
Bacteria Lock 95% of Dissolved Uranium Into Stable FeU(V)O4 in Mine Water
3 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · Jul 12
Summary
After 130 days, microbes in flooded uranium-mine water left only about 5% of dissolved uranium in solution, converting much of it into solid FeU(V)O4, researchers reported.
Glycerol-fed bacteria under oxygen-free conditions accumulated uranium in their cell walls, then helped drive it into the rare pentavalent uranium(V) state bound with iron and oxygen.
Microscopy and spectroscopy at HZDR, ESRF’s Rossendorf Beamline and the University of Granada identified the unexpectedly high share of uranium(V), which is usually rare and short-lived in the environment.
The compound had previously been observed in Croatian contaminated soil and remained stable for more than 25 years, but the new study points to bacteria as a natural formation pathway.
Researchers say the finding could aid bioremediation of contaminated groundwater and mine water, though they still need to test how reliably the process works outside the lab.
A new discovery shows bacteria can trap uranium. Is this a permanent fix or a future environmental risk?
Can these uranium-eating bacteria be deployed to finally clean up the world's most toxic mining sites?
Bacterial Bioremediation Achieves 96% Uranium Reduction via Stable FeU(V)O₄ Formation: A New Era for Contaminated Site Cleanup
Overview
In May 2026, a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications reported a major advance in uranium bioremediation. Researchers discovered that bacteria can immobilize uranium by forming a stable pentavalent uranium compound, FeU(V)O₄, offering a promising new solution for cleaning up uranium-contaminated sites. The team conducted experiments using water from a former uranium mine in Germany, introducing glycerol as a carbon source and maintaining oxygen-free conditions. This novel mechanism highlights the remarkable ability of bacteria to transform and stabilize uranium, paving the way for more effective and sustainable approaches to address uranium pollution.