Remediation of percolate water from uranium tailings reservoir by coupling iron-carbon micro-electrolysis and sulfate reducing bacteria

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20230147

Abstract

Abstract:

Six reactors, including iron-carbon micro-electrolysis coupling with sulfate reducing bacteria (Fe/C-SRB), aluminum-carbon micro-electrolysis coupling with sulfate reducing bacteria (Al/C-SRB), carbon coupling with sulfate reducing bacteria (C-SRB), iron-carbon micro-electrolysis (Fe/C), aluminum-carbon micro-electrolysis (Al/C) and carbon (C), were designed to investigate their effects on the remediation of U, Mn, Zn, SO $4 2 -$ and NO $3 -$ in the percolate water from the uranium tailings reservoir. The results indicated that the concentration of U in the effluent of Fe/C-SRB reactor system decreased to 0.05 mg/L after 2.5 h. The concentration of Mn decreased to 10 mg/L and the concentration of Zn decreased to 0.05 mg/L after 1 d. The concentration of SO $4 2 -$ decreased to 50 mg/L after 10 d, and the concentration of NO $3 -$ decreased to 10 mg/L after 18 d, all of which satisfied with the relevant national emission standards, and operated stably. The treatment efficiency of Fe/C-SRB reactor was significantly higher than that of other reactors. The total abundance of microbial communities including Desulfotomaculum, Desulfovibrio, and Desulfosporosinus with the function of reducing U(Ⅵ) in the filler of the Fe/C-SRB reactor system reached 61.45%, which was 40.35%, 60.06%, 57.22%, 59.73% and 52.46% higher than that of Al/C-SRB, C-SRB, Al/C, Fe/C and C reactor systems at 60 d, respectively. The 33.20% of U(Ⅵ) in the leachate was reduced to U(Ⅳ) by microorganisms and iron. The study demonstrates that Fe/C-SRB is a promising method for remediating percolation water from uranium tailings reservoir.

Key words: uranium, sulfate reducing bacteria, micro-electrolysis, reduction, anaerobic, remediation

摘要：

设计了铁炭微电解-硫酸盐还原菌（Fe/C-SRB）、铝炭微电解-硫酸盐还原菌（Al/C-SRB）、炭-硫酸盐还原菌（C-SRB）、铁炭微电解（Fe/C）、铝炭微电解（Al/C）和炭（C）6个反应器，并研究了它们修复铀尾矿库渗滤水中U、Mn、Zn、SO $4 2 -$ 以及NO $3 -$ 的效果。结果显示：经过2.5 h，Fe/C-SRB系统出水U浓度降至0.05 mg/L以下；1 d后，Mn浓度降至10 mg/L以下；1 d后，Zn浓度降至0.05 mg/L以下；10 d后，SO $4 2 -$ 浓度降至50 mg/L以下；18 d后，NO $3 -$ 浓度降至10 mg/L以下，均达到了相关国家排放标准，并运行稳定，处理效率显著高于其他反应器。60 d时，Fe/C-SRB系统填料中具有还原U（Ⅵ）功能的微生物Desulfotomaculum、Desulfovibrio和Desulfosporosinus群落丰度总和达到61.45%，与Al/C-SRB、C-SRB、Al/C、Fe/C和C系统相比，分别高了40.35%、60.06%、57.22%、59.73%和52.46%；渗滤水中33.20%的U（Ⅵ）被微生物和铁还原成U（Ⅳ）。本研究表明Fe/C-SRB是一种具有应用前景的修复铀尾矿库渗滤水的方法。

关键词: 铀, 硫酸盐还原菌, 微电解, 还原, 厌氧, 修复

CLC Number:

X 591

Nan HU, Demin TAO, Zhaolan YANG, Xuebing WANG, Xiangxu ZHANG, Yulong LIU, Dexin DING. Remediation of percolate water from uranium tailings reservoir by coupling iron-carbon micro-electrolysis and sulfate reducing bacteria[J]. CIESC Journal, 2023, 74(6): 2655-2667.

胡南, 陶德敏, 杨照岚, 王学兵, 张向旭, 刘玉龙, 丁德馨. 铁炭微电解与硫酸盐还原菌耦合修复铀尾矿库渗滤水的研究[J]. 化工学报, 2023, 74(6): 2655-2667.

Figures/Tables 11

Table 1 Geochemical characteristics of sediment and leachate samples

样品	成分浓度/(mg/L)							COD/(mg/L)	pH	Eh/mV
样品	U	Mg	Mn	Zn	Fe	NO $3 -$	SO $4 2 -$	COD/(mg/L)	pH	Eh/mV
沉积物	0.03 g/kg	4.51 g/kg	0.50 g/kg	0.73 g/kg	1.40 g/kg	—	—	—	6.05	—
丰水期水样	0.32	45.60	7.94	0.31	—	236.84	1169.15	44.52	6.35	273.60
枯水期水样	0.71	54.60	31.51	1.73	—	557.42	1700.46	60.25	5.34	187.60

Table 1 Geochemical characteristics of sediment and leachate samples

样品	成分浓度/(mg/L)							COD/(mg/L)	pH	Eh/mV
样品	U	Mg	Mn	Zn	Fe	NO $3 -$	SO $4 2 -$	COD/(mg/L)	pH	Eh/mV
沉积物	0.03 g/kg	4.51 g/kg	0.50 g/kg	0.73 g/kg	1.40 g/kg	—	—	—	6.05	—
丰水期水样	0.32	45.60	7.94	0.31	—	236.84	1169.15	44.52	6.35	273.60
枯水期水样	0.71	54.60	31.51	1.73	—	557.42	1700.46	60.25	5.34	187.60

Fig.1 Experiment dynamic operation device

Table 2 Experimental grouping

实验分组	处理方式	平行样
A	Al/C+SRB	3
B	Fe/C+SRB	3
C	C+SRB	3
D	Al/C	3
E	Fe/C	3
F	C	3
BLANK		1

Fig.2 Abundance of microbial community in sediments after enrichment culture for 35 d

Fig.3 Variations of pH, Eh, COD, and concentration of U, SO42-, NO3-, Zn and Mn in different reactors

Fig.4 Distribution of microbial communities in phylum (a), class (b) and genus (c) levels (≥1%)

Fig.5 Microbial functional abundance prediction heatmap

Fig.6 Scanning electron micrographs of activated carbon before and after the reaction

Fig.7 Scanning electron microscopy of iron filings before and after the reaction

Fig.8 Energy spectrum analysis

Fig.9 XPS scanning spectrum

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