Biogenic non-crystalline U(IV) revealed as major component in uranium ore deposits
| Autor: | Shelly D. Kelly, Kate M. Campbell, Thomas Borch, Stefan Weyer, Rizlan Bernier-Latmani, Amrita Bhattacharyya, Yvonne Roebbert |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Science
General Physics and Astronomy Mineralogy chemistry.chemical_element 010501 environmental sciences 010502 geochemistry & geophysics 01 natural sciences General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Article chemistry.chemical_compound Uraninite Dewey Decimal Classification::500 | Naturwissenschaften 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Uranium deposit Multidisciplinary Chemistry hexavalent uranium General Chemistry Uranium eye diseases crystalline uraninite Uranium ore Environmental chemistry Carbonate ddc:500 sense organs |
| Zdroj: | Nature communications, vol 8, iss 1 Nature Communications Bhattacharyya, A; Campbell, KM; Kelly, SD; Roebbert, Y; Weyer, S; Bernier-Latmani, R; et al.(2017). Biogenic non-crystalline U (IV) revealed as major component in uranium ore deposits. Nature Communications, 8. doi: 10.1038/ncomms15538. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/6b9885fp Nature Communications, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2017) Nature Communications 8 (2017) |
| Popis: | Historically, it is believed that crystalline uraninite, produced via the abiotic reduction of hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) is the dominant reduced U species formed in low-temperature uranium roll-front ore deposits. Here we show that non-crystalline U(IV) generated through biologically mediated U(VI) reduction is the predominant U(IV) species in an undisturbed U roll-front ore deposit in Wyoming, USA. Characterization of U species revealed that the majority (∼58-89%) of U is bound as U(IV) to C-containing organic functional groups or inorganic carbonate, while uraninite and U(VI) represent only minor components. The uranium deposit exhibited mostly 238U-enriched isotope signatures, consistent with largely biotic reduction of U(VI) to U(IV). This finding implies that biogenic processes are more important to uranium ore genesis than previously understood. The predominance of a relatively labile form of U(IV) also provides an opportunity for a more economical and environmentally benign mining process, as well as the design of more effective post-mining restoration strategies and human health-risk assessment. Crystalline uraninite is believed to be the dominant form in uranium deposits. Here, the authors find that non-crystalline U(IV) generated through biologically mediated U(VI) reduction is the predominant U(IV) species in ore deposits, implying that biogenic processes are more important than previously thought. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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