Open AccessMICROBIAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF TRU AND MIXED WASTES: ACTINIDE SPECIATION AND WASTE VOLUME REDUCTION.
Author(s) -
A J FRANCIS,
C J DODGE
Publication year - 2006
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/896456
Subject(s) - actinide , dissolution , radionuclide , radioactive waste , waste management , environmental science , environmental chemistry , human decontamination , chemistry , genetic algorithm , precipitation , volume (thermodynamics) , nuclear chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , meteorology , engineering , evolutionary biology , biology
The overall goals of this research project are to determine the mechanism of microbial dissolution and stabilization of actinides in Department of Energy's (DOE) TRU wastes, contaminated sludges, soils, and sediments. This includes (1) investigations on the fundamental aspects of microbially catalyzed radionuclide and metal transformations (oxidation/reduction reactions, dissolution, precipitation, chelation); (2) understanding of the microbiological processes that control speciation and alter the chemical forms of complex inorganic/organic contaminant mixtures; and (3) development of new and improved microbially catalyzed processes resulting in immobilization of metals and radionuclides in the waste with concomitant waste volume reduction