A newly isolated group of microbes holds great promise for removing nitrate and immobilizing uranium in contaminated groundwater and soil. Researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Miami University and Stanford University enriched a microbial culture capable of removing nitrate and found that this "denitrifying" biomass contains a diverse microbial community with some microbes capable of making uranium less soluble. ORNL's Philip Jardine of the Environmental Sciences Division noted that previous studies indicated that only certain species of metal- and sulfate-reducing bacteria are capable of reducing and immobilizing uranium. Additional field tests are in progress to determine the feasibility of using this biomass for removing nitrate and immobilizing uranium in soil and individual microbe's roles in the remediation process. The research is being conducted at the NABIR (Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research) Field Research Center in Oak Ridge. Funding for this research is provided by DOE's Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research.
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