Microbial transformations of plutonium

Francis, A. J.; Dodge, C. J.*; Onuki, Toshihiko

Journal of Nuclear and Radiochemical Sciences, 8(2), p.121 - 126, 2007/10

https://doi.org/10.14494/jnrs2000.8.121

We investigated the biotransformation of Pu(IV)-citrate by under aerobic conditions. Citric acid was rapidly metabolized by resulting in the formation of Pu polymer. Addition of Pu(VI) to a mixture consisting of bacterial cells and kaolinite clay showed that the Pu was preferentially associated with bacterial cells as Pu(IV) and that Pu(VI) was reduced to Pu(V) and Pu(IV) only in the presence of bacteria.