Selective accumulation of heavy metals by three indigenous Bacillus strains, B. cereus, B. megaterium and B. sphaericus, from drain waters of a uranium waste pile

Abstract

The interaction was studied of three Bacillus isolates, recovered from a uranium waste pile in Saxony, Germany, with different heavy metal ions present in the original ground water of the pile. Using 16S amplified ribosomal DNA restriction and random amplified polymorphic DNA analyses, the three isolates were classified as B. cereus, B. megaterium and B. sphaericus. The ability was investigated of vegetative cells and spores of the indigenous Bacillus strains as well as those of the corresponding reference strains B. cereus ATCC 4415, B. megaterium NRRL B5385, and B. sphaericus NCTC 9602 to accumulate Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Mn, Ni, Rb, Pb, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, U, and Zn. It was clearly shown that all strains studied accumulated selectively large amounts of U, Pb, Cd, Cu and Al. Co, Mn, Ni, Zn, and Ga was only weakly accumulated. The binding of Ba, Ga, Mn, Ni, and Zn was species and in some cases even strain specific. z

Manufacturing and characterization of Pd nanoparticles formed on immobilized bacterial cells

“…The cells of the uranium mining waste pile isolate Bacillus sphaericus JG‐A12 are able to accumulate high amounts of toxic metals, such as U, Cu, Pb, Al, and Cd (Selenska‐Pobell et al. 1999).…”

EXAFS investigation of uranium(VI) complexes formed at Bacillus cereus and Bacillus sphaericus surfaces

“…Because of the high resistance of their spores to extreme conditions, bacilli are found in a large variety of natural habitats. Recently, it was demonstrated that two Bacillus strains, B. cereus JG-A30 and B. sphaericus JG-A12, recovered from a uranium mining waste site in Germany, are able to accumulate selectively a large variety of heavy metals from the drain waters of the waste site [3]. In particular, it was shown that these strains accumulate large amounts of uranium.…”

Development and characterization of biofilms on stainless steel and titanium in spent nuclear fuel pools

“…This genus presents an impressive physiological diversity and their spores are highly resistant to unfavourable conditions: gamma radiation, UV, H 2 O 2, and desiccation [11,28]. It has also been related to the selective accumulation of Mn, Zn, Cs, U, and Co [25,27,28], among others. Moreover, some of these strains, and especially their spores, are able to irreversibly bind large amounts of metals [25], and the presence of spores on advanced stages of colonisation could explain why the radioactivity in the bioWlm increases.…”

“…It has also been related to the selective accumulation of Mn, Zn, Cs, U, and Co [25,27,28], among others. Moreover, some of these strains, and especially their spores, are able to irreversibly bind large amounts of metals [25], and the presence of spores on advanced stages of colonisation could explain why the radioactivity in the bioWlm increases. Other genera predominantly present in the bioWlm are Stenotrophomonas and Mycobacterium.…”