Scientists have discovered that bacteria can transform dissolved uranium into an unusually stable compound, revealing a potential new approach for cleaning up uranium-contaminated water. In laboratory experiments using water from a flooded uranium mine, researchers found that adding glycerol as a food source allowed bacteria to remove about 95% of the dissolved uranium within 130 days. The researchers found that the bacteria accumulated uranium in their cell walls and helped convert it into FeU(V)O₄, a rare uranium compound containing pentavalent uranium. This finding was particularly surprising because pentavalent uranium has generally been considered an unstable and short-lived chemical form. The newly observed compound remained stable even when exposed to oxygen, suggesting that bacterial activity may help transform mobile uranium into a form that is less likely to spread through water. The discovery could provide important insights into how microorganisms naturally influence uranium in contaminated environments. Researchers are now investigating the biological and chemical processes behind this transformation to determine whether bacteria could eventually be used as part of strategies for remediating uranium-contaminated water and environments.
