Kinetic analysis and modeling of oleate and ethanol stimulated uranium (VI) bio-reduction in contaminated sediments under sulfate reduction conditions

Fan Zhang, Wei Min Wu, Jack C. Parker, Tonia Mehlhorn, Shelly D. Kelly, Kenneth M. Kemner, Gengxin Zhang, Christopher Schadt, Scott C. Brooks, Craig S. Criddle, David B. Watson, Philip M. Jardine

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19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microcosm tests with uranium contaminated sediments were performed to explore the feasibility of using oleate as a slow-release electron donor for U(VI) reduction in comparison to ethanol. Oleate degradation proceeded more slowly than ethanol with acetate produced as an intermediate for both electron donors under a range of initial sulfate concentrations. A kinetic microbial reduction model was developed and implemented to describe and compare the reduction of sulfate and U(VI) with oleate or ethanol. The reaction path model considers detailed oleate/ethanol degradation and the production and consumption of intermediates, acetate and hydrogen. Although significant assumptions are made, the model tracked the major trend of sulfate and U(VI) reduction and describes the successive production and consumption of acetate, concurrent with microbial reduction of aqueous sulfate and U(VI) species. The model results imply that the overall rate of U(VI) bioreduction is influenced by both the degradation rate of organic substrates and consumption rate of intermediate products.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)482-489
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Hazardous Materials
Volume183
Issue number1-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2010

Funding

This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of the Biological and Environmental Research. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 . The authors thank Kenneth Lowe and Xiangping Yin for analytical help.

Keywords

  • Acetate
  • Bio-stimulation
  • Hydrogen
  • Intermediate products
  • Microbial reduction
  • Simulate

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