A type of bacteria present in most aquatic environments has been demonstrated to remove uranium from contaminated water. Researchers in Germany confirmed that the magnetotactic bacteria, which react to magnetic fields, are of potential value in bioaccumulating dissolved heavy metals in addition to radiocontaminants.

These Magnetospirillum magneticum bacteria form nanoscopic magnetic crystals embedded in a protective membrane used to align cells with the Earth’s magnetic field and orientate themselves in their habitat. The constituents of the membrane serve as collection sites for uranium, and the magnetic properties lend themselves to streamlined separation of the bacteria from water by use of magnets.

The bacteria displayed a high removal capacity for uranium, with up to 95% of the initial contaminant concentration removed from the suspension and bound on the cell wall within a matter of hours.

Such biological treatment could prove an effective alternative to expensive, conventional chemical-based processes. “It’s conceivable this could be done on a large scale by carrying out the treatment right in the surface water or by pumping water from underground mines and directing it to pilot treatment plants,” explained the researchers.

The study conducted by scientists from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz is published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.