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Isolation and identification of cobalt- and caesium-resistant bacteria from a nuclear fuel storage pond

  • Tom Osborne
    ,
  • Linda Dekker
    ,
  • Thomas H. Osborne
    ,
  • Joanne M. Santini
  • University College London
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

One of the issues facing the nuclear power industry is how to store spent nuclear fuel which is contaminated with radionuclides produced during nuclear fission, including caesium ((134)Cs(+), (135)Cs(+) and (137)Cs(+)) and cobalt ((60)Co(2+)). In this study, we have isolated Co(2+)- and Cs(+)-resistant bacteria from water collected from a nuclear fuel storage pond. The most resistant Cs(+) and Co(2+) isolates grew in the presence of 500 mM CsCl and 3 mM CoCl2. Strain Cs67-2 is resistant to fourfold more Cs(+) than Cupriavidus metallidurans str. CH34 making it the most Cs(+)-resistant strain identified to date. The Cs(+)-resistant isolates were closely related to bacteria in the Serratia and Yersinia genera, while the Co(2+)-resistant isolates were closely related to the Curvibacter and Tardiphaga genera. These new isolates could be used for bioremediation.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 81-84

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

FEMS Microbiology Letters (Volume 359, Issue 1)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 31/10/2014

Publication status

Published - 31/10/2014

ISSN

0378-1097

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/623436
  • Scopus: 84907952606

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