Uranium isotope fractionation during adsorption, (co) precipitation, and biotic reductionDang, Duc Huy (Avtor)
Novotnik, Breda (Avtor)
Wang, Wei (Avtor)
Georg, Bastian R. (Avtor)
Evans, Douglas R. (Avtor)
UraniumfractionationbioticabioticoxidesUranium contamination of surface environments is a problem associated with both U-ore extraction/processing and situations in which groundwater comes into contact with geological formations high in uranium. Apart from the environmental concerns about U contamination, its accumulation and isotope composition have been used in marine sediments as a paleoproxy of the Earth’s oxygenation history. Understanding U isotope geochemistry is then essential either to develop sustainable remediation procedures as well as for use in paleotracer applications. We report on parameters controlling U immobilization and U isotope fractionation by adsorption onto Mn/Fe oxides, precipitation with phosphate, and biotic reduction. The light U isotope (235U) is preferentially adsorbed on Mn/Fe oxides in an oxic system. When adsorbed onto Mn/Fe oxides, dissolved organic carbon and carbonate are the most efficient ligands limiting U binding resulting in slight differences in U isotope composition (δ238U = 0.22 ± 0.06‰) compared to the DOC/DIC-free configuration (δ238U = 0.39 ± 0.04‰). Uranium precipitation with phosphate does not induce isotope fractionation. In contrast, during U biotic reduction, the heavy U isotope (238U) is accumulated in reduced species (δ238U up to −1‰). The different trends of U isotope fractionation in oxic and anoxic environments makes its isotope composition a useful tracer for both environmental and paleogeochemical applications.20162019-10-04 08:38:38Delo ni kategorizirano4767COBISS_ID: 5458427DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01459NUK URN: URN:SI:UNG:REP:RFKQHTTMsl