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Bioaccumulation of nickel by intercalation into polycrystalline hydrogen uranyl phosphate deposited via an enzymatic mechanism

Nature Biotechnology volume 14, pages 635–638 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

A Citrobacter sp. accumulates uranyl ion (UO22+) as crystalline HUO2PO4 · 4H2O (HUP), using enzymati-cally generated inorganic phosphate. Ni was not removed by this mechanism, but cells already loaded with HUP removed Ni2+ by intercalative ion-exchange, forming Ni(UO2PO4)2 · 7H2O, as concluded by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and proton induced x-ray emission (PIXE) analyses. The loaded biomass became saturated with Ni rapidly, with a molar ratio of Ni:U in the cellbound deposit of approx. 1:6; Ni penetration was probably surface-localized. Cochallenge of the cells with Ni2+ and UO22+, and glycerol 2-phosphate (phosphate donor for phosphate release and metal bioprecipitation) gave sustained removal of both metals in a flow through bioreactor, with more extensively accumulated Ni. We propose ‘Microbially Enhanced Chemisorption of Heavy Metals’ (MECHM) to describe this hybrid mechanism of metal bioaccu-mulation via intercalation into preformed, biogenic crystals, and note also that MECHM can promote the removal of the transuranic radionuclide neptunium, which is difficult to achieve by conventional methods.

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Author notes

  1. Lynne E. Macaskie: Corresponding author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B152TT, UK

    Karen M. Bonthrone, Gabriela Basnakova, Fan Lin & Lynne E. Macaskie

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  1. Karen M. Bonthrone
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  2. Gabriela Basnakova
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  4. Lynne E. Macaskie
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Bonthrone, K., Basnakova, G., Lin, F. et al. Bioaccumulation of nickel by intercalation into polycrystalline hydrogen uranyl phosphate deposited via an enzymatic mechanism. Nat Biotechnol 14, 635–638 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0596-635

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