Polonium in Florida groundwater and its possible relationship to the sulfur cycle and bacteria

Harada, Koh; Burnett, William C.; LaRock, Paul A.; Cowart, James B.

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(89)90281-0

Cited by 84 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The second major concern is the ability of these strains to volatilize other metalloids like polonium, a group XVI element commonly found in nuclear waste and tailings from uranium and phosphate mining operations as part of the U decay series (4,24,36). Bacteria have been implicated in polonium mobilization from phosphate mineral deposits into groundwater and proposed as a remedial strategy for contaminated groundwater (14,32).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Volatilization and Precipitation of Tellurium by Aerobic, Tellurite-Resistant Marine Microbes

Ollivier

Bahrou

Marcus

et al. 2008

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Microbial resistance to tellurite, an oxyanion of tellurium, is widespread in the biosphere, but the geochemical significance of this trait is poorly understood. As some tellurite resistance markers appear to mediate the formation of volatile tellurides, the potential contribution of tellurite-resistant microbial strains to trace element volatilization in salt marsh sediments was evaluated. Microbial strains were isolated aerobically on the basis of tellurite resistance and subsequently examined for their capacity to volatilize tellurium in pure cultures. The tellurite-resistant strains recovered were either yeasts related to marine isolates of Rhodotorula spp. or gram-positive bacteria related to marine strains within the family Bacillaceae based on rRNA gene sequence comparisons. Most strains produced volatile tellurides, primarily dimethyltelluride, though there was a wide range of the types and amounts of species produced. For example, the Rhodotorula spp. produced the greatest quantities and highest diversity of volatile tellurium compounds. All strains also produced methylated sulfur compounds, primarily dimethyldisulfide. Intracellular tellurium precipitates were a major product of tellurite metabolism in all strains tested, with nearly complete recovery of the tellurite initially provided to cultures as a precipitate. Different strains appeared to produce different shapes and sizes of tellurium containing nanostructures. These studies suggest that aerobic marine yeast and Bacillus spp. may play a greater role in trace element biogeochemistry than has been previously assumed, though additional work is needed to further define and quantify their specific contributions.Microbial resistance to the inorganic oxyanion tellurite (TeO 3 2Ϫ

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Volatilization and Precipitation of Tellurium by Aerobic, Tellurite-Resistant Marine Microbes

Ollivier

Bahrou

Marcus

et al. 2008

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…One notable exception to this observed trend is polonium, which actually has a much higher partitioning coefficient for the bulk COM than for the polysaccharide-enriched COM. This observation is interesting, given that Po appears to also have nonmetal properties and can be enriched in proteins, where it can show a close relationship with sulfur (e.g., Harada et al 1989;La Rock et al 1996). The selective complexation further points to the importance of chemical composition of marine particles in controlling the scavenging of trace elements in the ocean.…”

Section: Comparison Of Enhanced 234 Th Sorption To Polysaccharide-enrmentioning

confidence: 92%

Importance of acid polysaccharides for ²³⁴Th complexation to marine organic matter

Quigley

Santschi

Hung

et al. 2002

Limnology & Oceanography

176

119

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“…In parts of Florida, naturally occurring uranium-rich deposits are the source of high activities of 238 U series members in groundwater. High 210 Po activities have been measured in groundwater (Harada et al 1989), and some of the highest measured values come from Hillsborough County (Upchurch and Randazzo 1997). High 226 Ra activities have been measured in Upper Floridan aquifer samples and sometimes exceed the drinking water standard for radium of 11 dpm L Ϫ1 (Kaufmann and Bliss 1977).…”

Section: Ameiurus Nebulosusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological accumulation of ²²⁶Ra in a groundwater‐augmented Florida lake

Brenner

Smoak

Allen

et al. 2000

Limnology & Oceanography

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Round Lake, Hillsborough County, Florida (U.S.A.) has been augmented with 226Ra‐rich (6.2 dpm L−1) groundwater from the Floridan aquifer for more than 30 years. Water column 226Ra activity in Round Lake is 3.4 dpm L−1, about one third of the U.S. drinking water standard value. Radionuclide measurements in biota and sediment cores from the lake indicate high 226Ra activities in plants, mollusc shells and tissues, fish bones, and recent sediments. Unionid mussels bioaccumulate 226Ra and display very high activities in soft tissues (219.9–454.8 dpm g−1 dry). Throughout Florida, groundwaters are increasingly pumped for agricultural irrigation, as well as residential and industrial use. Biological accumulation of 226Ra by filter‐feeding pelecypods in aquatic ecosystems is an important pathway for transfer of the radionuclide to higher trophic levels of both aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Radionuclide analysis of soft tissues from aquatic bivalves provides a rapid means of identifying waterbodies that receive substantial inputs of dissolved 226Ra.

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Polonium in Florida groundwater and its possible relationship to the sulfur cycle and bacteria

Cited by 84 publications

References 32 publications

Volatilization and Precipitation of Tellurium by Aerobic, Tellurite-Resistant Marine Microbes

Volatilization and Precipitation of Tellurium by Aerobic, Tellurite-Resistant Marine Microbes

Importance of acid polysaccharides for ²³⁴Th complexation to marine organic matter

Biological accumulation of ²²⁶Ra in a groundwater‐augmented Florida lake

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Polonium in Florida groundwater and its possible relationship to the sulfur cycle and bacteria

Cited by 84 publications

References 32 publications

Volatilization and Precipitation of Tellurium by Aerobic, Tellurite-Resistant Marine Microbes

Volatilization and Precipitation of Tellurium by Aerobic, Tellurite-Resistant Marine Microbes

Importance of acid polysaccharides for 234Th complexation to marine organic matter

Biological accumulation of 226Ra in a groundwater‐augmented Florida lake

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Importance of acid polysaccharides for ²³⁴Th complexation to marine organic matter

Biological accumulation of ²²⁶Ra in a groundwater‐augmented Florida lake