Complexation by Organic Matter Controls Uranium Mobility in Anoxic Sediments

Uranium contamination threatens the availability of safe and clean drinking water globally. This toxic element occurs both naturally and as a result of mining and ore-processing in alluvial sediments, where it accumulates as tetravalent U [U­(IV)], a form once considered largely immobile. Changing h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2020-02, Vol.54 (3), p.1493-1502
Main Authors: Bone, Sharon E, Cliff, John, Weaver, Karrie, Takacs, Christopher J, Roycroft, Scott, Fendorf, Scott, Bargar, John R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clay
Clay minerals
Drinking water
Fractionation
Geologic Sediments
Groundwater
Hydrology
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectroscopy
Microorganisms
Minerals
Mining
Mobility
Organic carbon
Organic chemistry
Organic matter
Particulate organic carbon
Secondary ion mass spectrometry
Sediment pollution
Sediments
Uranium
Water Pollutants, Radioactive
X ray microscopy
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Summary:Uranium contamination threatens the availability of safe and clean drinking water globally. This toxic element occurs both naturally and as a result of mining and ore-processing in alluvial sediments, where it accumulates as tetravalent U [U­(IV)], a form once considered largely immobile. Changing hydrologic and geochemical conditions cause U to be released into groundwater. Knowledge of the chemical form(s) of U­(IV) is essential to understand the release mechanism, yet the relevant U­(IV) species are poorly characterized. There is growing belief that natural organic matter (OM) binds U­(IV) and mediates its fate in the subsurface. In this work, we combined nanoscale imaging (nano secondary ion mass spectrometry and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy) with a density-based fractionation approach to physically and microscopically isolate organic and mineral matter from alluvial sediments contaminated with uranium. We identified two populations of U (dominantly +IV) in anoxic sediments. Uranium was retained on OM and adsorbed to particulate organic carbon, comprising both microbial and plant material. Surprisingly, U was also adsorbed to clay minerals and OM-coated clay minerals. The dominance of OM-associated U provides a framework to understand U mobility in the shallow subsurface, and, in particular, emphasizes roles for desorption and colloid formation in its mobilization.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.9b04741