Fungal Activity in Reduction of the Uranium Content and the Activity Concentration of Other Radionuclides in Some Tenorm
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: The granitic tailing (GW) and the phosphogypsum (PG), solid wastes resulted from the leaching processof the U-bearing granite and manufacturing of the phosphoric acid from the phosphate rocks respectively,are considered as TENORM. Both of them retain considerable uranium concentration in addition to mostof the original radium content as well as other radionuclides. Due to their enhanced radionuclide contentsand their huge produced quantities, these wastes represent a real risk on man and the environment. Thepresent work employed the fungal activity to reduce the uranium content and radium activity concentrationin these radioactive solid wastes. Strain of the Aspergillus terreus (A. terreus) was isolated from the testedTENORM and was propagated on the appropriate Dox liquid media. Four controlling factors affectingthe fungus leaching capability were investigated; the incubation period, solid/liquid ratio, incubationtemperature and the initial pH where their optimum values were recorded as three days, 1%, 30 oC and 4respectively. Testing of the optimum conditions together on the solid wastes revealed that the A. terreusreduced 66.9% and 62.5% of the uranium content in both the GW and PG wastes respectively. In parallel,the A. terreus removed 76.5% and 63% of the radium activity concentration in the GW and PG wastes.
Author: TAREK MOHAMMADEN
Institution: Nuclear Materials Authority
Language: English
Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $120
OpenAlex ID: W2945257586