The heritage of uranium mining in the German-Czech ore mountains

Albrecht, Helmuth

doi:10.3917/eh.087.0088

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Uranium (U) mining and processing have their origins in the second half of the 20th century in East Germany, mainly in the Federal States of Saxony and Thuringia (Bernhard et al 1998;Albrecht 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biostimulation of Indigenous Microbes for Uranium Bioremediation in Former U Mine Water: Multidisciplinary approach assessment.

Newman-Portela,

Krawczyk-Bärsch,

Lopez-Fernandez

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Characterising physicochemistry and microbial diversity in uranium (U) mine water is a key prerequisite for understanding the biogeochemical processes occurring in these water mass and for the design of an efficient bioremediation strategy. In this study water samples from two former U-mines in East Germany were analysed. The U and sulphate (SO42−) concentrations of Schlema-Alberoda mine water (U: 1 mg/L; SO42−: 335 mg/L) are 2 and 3 order of magnitude higher than those of the Pöhla sample (U: 0.01 mg/L; SO42−: 0.5 mg/L). U, SO42− and Fe seem to shape the differential microbial diversity of the two water samples. Microbial diversity analysis identified U(VI)-reducing bacteria (e.g., Desulfurivibrio) and wood-degrading fungi (e.g., Cadophora) providing electron donors for the growth of U-reducers. U-bioreduction experiments were performed to screen electron donors (glycerol, vanillic acid and gluconic acid) for Schlema-Alberoda U mine water bioremediation. Glycerol effectively removed 99% of soluble U (initially present as Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) and UO2(CO3)34−), along with 95% of Fe and 58% of SO42− from the mine water. The results may contribute to the design of low U concentrations bioremediation strategies based on the biostimulation of U-reducing bacteria.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biostimulation of Indigenous Microbes for Uranium Bioremediation in Former U Mine Water: Multidisciplinary approach assessment.

Newman-Portela,

Krawczyk-Bärsch,

Lopez-Fernandez

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Uranium (U) mining and processing have their origins in the second half of the twentieth century in East Germany, mainly in the Federal States of Saxony and Thuringia (Bernhard et al 1998 ; Albrecht 2017 ). Intense mining activities are a major source of soluble U, which can migrate into surrounding aquifers, representing a significant environmental and human health threat (Jroundi et al 2020 ; Lopez-Fernandez et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biostimulation of indigenous microbes for uranium bioremediation in former U mine water: multidisciplinary approach assessment

Newman-Portela,

Krawczyk-Bärsch,

Lopez-Fernandez

et al. 2023

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Characterizing uranium (U) mine water is necessary to understand and design an effective bioremediation strategy. In this study, water samples from two former U-mines in East Germany were analysed. The U and sulphate (SO42−) concentrations of Schlema-Alberoda mine water (U: 1 mg/L; SO42−: 335 mg/L) were 2 and 3 order of magnitude higher than those of the Pöhla sample (U: 0.01 mg/L; SO42−: 0.5 mg/L). U and SO42− seemed to influence the microbial diversity of the two water samples. Microbial diversity analysis identified U(VI)-reducing bacteria (e.g. Desulfurivibrio) and wood-degrading fungi (e.g. Cadophora) providing as electron donors for the growth of U-reducers. U-bioreduction experiments were performed to screen electron donors (glycerol, vanillic acid, and gluconic acid) for Schlema-Alberoda U-mine water bioremediation purpose. Thermodynamic speciation calculations show that under experimental conditions, U(VI) is not coordinated to the amended electron donors. Glycerol was the best-studied electron donor as it effectively removed 99% of soluble U, 95% of Fe, and 58% of SO42− from the mine water, probably by biostimulation of indigenous microbes. Vanillic acid removed 90% of U, and no U removal occurred using gluconic acid.

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“…Early European research into uranium toxicity helped scientists to forge links between the environmental conditions of uranium mining and the health of uranium workers, and the association between uranium mining and a lung disease was first academically identified and described in 1879 (Harting and Hesse, 1879;Brugge and Goble, 2002). However, it was an additional fifty-three years before Germany and Czechoslovakia addressed the health issues that arose among workers at the Erzgebirge-KrušnohořI extraction facility, and they described this condition as a "compensable occupational disease" (Albrecht, 2017;Brugge and Goble, 2002). This early action by the state could have improved public understanding of the health risks posed by uranium extraction, due to state recognition and acceptance of the health challenges arising among miners.…”

Section: Introduction: Uranium and The Atomic Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the state of uranium research: Environmental justice, health, and extraction

Malin

Alexis‐Martin

2020

The Extractive Industries and Society

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The heritage of uranium mining in the German-Czech ore mountains

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Biostimulation of Indigenous Microbes for Uranium Bioremediation in Former U Mine Water: Multidisciplinary approach assessment.

Biostimulation of Indigenous Microbes for Uranium Bioremediation in Former U Mine Water: Multidisciplinary approach assessment.

Biostimulation of indigenous microbes for uranium bioremediation in former U mine water: multidisciplinary approach assessment

Assessing the state of uranium research: Environmental justice, health, and extraction

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