Metal Sorption to Pseudomonas fluorescens: Influence of pH, Ionic Strength and Metal Concentrations

Abstract

Migration behavior of radionuclides should be understood in order to estimate the impact of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal on the environment. Bacteria, one of the major organic sorbents in solid and aquatic environments, can affect the fate of actinides and lanthanides by sorption onto their cell surfaces. In this study, the sorption of the radionuclide Americium (Am(III)) and several metal ions (Eu(III), Cu(II) and Ca(II)) to Pseudomonas fluorescens were measured under various conditions. It was revealed that as pH decreased, the sorption of Eu(III) and Am(III) increased when the metals were at relatively low concentrations but decreased at higher metal concentrations. On the other hand, sorption of Cu(II) followed the opposite trend. In the case of calcium, an increase in calcium ions was observed due to release from the cells. These findings suggest that the sorption mechanisms for low levels of Eu(III) and Am(III) on the cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens are different from those of Cu(II), Ca(II), and high concentrations of Eu(III) (> 10 − 5 M).