Microbial Mineral Transformations at the Fe(II)/Fe(III) Redox Boundary for Solid Phase Capture of Strontium and Other Metal/Radionuclide Contaminants

The migration of {sup 90}Sr in groundwater is a significant environmental concern at former nuclear weapons production sites in the US and abroad. Although retardation of {sup 90}Sr transport relative to mean groundwater velocity is known to occur in contaminated aquifers, Sr{sup 2+} does not sorb as strongly to iron oxides and other mineral phases as do other metal-radionuclides contaminants. Thus, some potential exists for extensive {sup 90}Sr migration from sources of contamination. Chemical or biological processes capable of retarding or immobilizing Sr{sup 2+} in groundwater environments are of interest from the standpoint of understanding controls on subsurface Sr{sup 2+} migration. In addition, it may be possible to exploit such processes for remediation of subsurface Sr contamination. In this study the authors examined the potential for the solid phase sorption and incorporation of Sr{sup 2+} into carbonate minerals formed during microbial Fe(III) oxide reduction as a first step toward evaluating whether this process could be used to promote retardation of {sup 90}Sr migrations in anaerobic subsurface environments. The demonstration of Sr{sup 2+} capture in carbonate mineral phases formed during bacterial HFO reduction and urea hydrolysis suggests that microbial carbonate mineral formation could contribute to Sr{sup 2+} retardation in groundwater environments. This process may also provide a mechanism for subsurface remediation of Sr{sup 2+} and other divalent metal contaminants that form insoluble carbonate precipitates