IN-SITU IMMOBILIZATION OF HEAVY-METALS ASSOCIATED WITH URANIUM LEACH MINES BY BACTERIAL SULFATE REDUCTION

Laboratory experiments with mixed populations of sulfate-reducing bact eria were shown to mediate the removal of milligrams/liter concentrati ons of uranium, selenium, arsenic acid vanadium from aqueous solution via reduction, precipitation and adsorption, Results of laboratory exp eriments with active sulfidogenic biomass suggest that injection of su lfate and a source of carbon could enhance natural anaerobic microbial activity in and around uranium leach mines leading to in situ immobil ization of contaminating metals.