An experimental study for the identification of some bacterial strains for uranium bioremediation by gamma spectrometry

In this work, it was aimed to determine the potential bacterial strains that can be bioremediated of the radioactive uranium. The experimental analysis was made in gamma spectrometry. Uranyl acetate (CH3COO)2UO2.2H2O was used as the radioactive material. The radioactive solutions containing bacterial strains (P. chlororaphis (3N17-10); B. licheniformis (1N17-3); L. casei (NM-25); L. plantarum (NM-10); L. brevis (NM-26); L. lactis (NM-41); L. curvatus (NM-1); L. pentosus (NM-38); L. coryniformis (NM-22) and B. subtilis (N-28)) were prepared. A high purity germanium detector with a resolution of 490 eV at 122 keV was used to measure the photon intensities emitted from the radioactive solutions. The removal percentage and adsorbed amount of the investigated samples were determined. The results showed that P. chlororaphis have got an excellent sorption capacity for uranium removal. •Uranium could be removed from aqueous systems with an efficiency of about 95%, by adsorption using bacterial strains.•The adsorption mechanism of radioactive uranium for the bacterial strains is predominantly ion exchange and ion coupling.•P. chlororaphis have got an excellent sorption capacity for uranium removal.