What is it about?

Radioactive waste can be treated by microbe-mediated approaches. Microbe-mediated approaches include bacterial, myco-, and phycoremediation. Bacterial remediation involves bioreduction, biosorption, and bioprecipitation. Adding electron donors to radioactively polluted water allows in situ biostimulation. Myco- and phycoremediation often involve biosorption and bioaccumulation.

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Why is it important?

The global production of radioactive wastes is expected to increase in the coming years as more countries have resorted to adopting nuclear power to decrease their reliance on fossil-fuel-generated energy. Discoveries of remediation methods that can remove radionuclides from radioactive wastes, including those discharged to the environment, are therefore vital to reduce risks-upon-exposure radionuclides posed to humans and wildlife. Among various remediation approaches available, microbe-mediated radionuclide remediation have limited reviews regarding their advances. This review provides an overview of the sources and existing classification of radioactive wastes, followed by a brief introduction to existing radionuclide remediation (physical, chemical, and electrochemical) approaches. Microbe-mediated radionuclide remediation (bacterial, myco-, and phycoremediation) is then extensively discussed. Bacterial remediation involves biological processes like bioreduction, biosorption, and bioprecipitation. Bioreduction involves the reduction of water-soluble, mobile radionuclides to water-insoluble, immobile lower oxidation states by ferric iron-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and certain extremophilic bacteria, and in situ remediation has become possible by adding electron donors to contaminated waters to enrich indigenous iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria populations. In biosorption, radionuclides are associated with functional groups on the microbial cell surface, followed by getting reduced to immobilized forms or precipitated intracellularly or extracellularly. Myco- and phycoremediation often involve processes like biosorption and bioaccumulation, where the former is influenced by pH and cell concentration. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis on microbial remediation is also performed. It is suggested that two research directions: genetic engineering of radiation-resistant microorganisms and co-application of microbe-mediated remediation with other remediation methods could potentially result in the discovery of in situ or ex situ microbe-involving radioactive waste remediation applications with high practicability. Finally, a comparison between the strengths and weaknesses of each approach is provided.

Perspectives

Rising urgency – With nuclear energy expanding globally, radioactive waste management is becoming a critical environmental and public health concern. Bridging knowledge gaps – Provides an up-to-date synthesis of microbe-mediated radionuclide remediation, an area with limited consolidated reviews. Practical relevance – Highlights potential for in situ applications, offering safer and more sustainable alternatives to conventional remediation methods. Innovation focus – Explores future research directions such as genetic engineering of radiation-resistant microbes and hybrid remediation strategies. Global impact – Supports efforts to minimize ecological and human exposure risks, contributing to safer nuclear energy transitions worldwide.

Associate Professor Dr Chuck Chuan Ng
Xiamen University Malaysia

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Advancements in microbial-mediated radioactive waste bioremediation: A review, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, December 2024, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2024.107530.
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