Thuro Arnold, Nils Baumann
The subsurface acid mine drainage (AMD) environment of an abandoned underground uranium mine in Königstein/Saxony/Germany, currently in the process of remediation, is characterized by low pH, high sulfate concentrations and elevated concentrations of heavy metals, in particular uranium. Acid streamers thrive in the mine drainage channels and are heavily coated with iron precipitates. These precipitates are biologically mediated and related to the presence of Fe-oxidizing microorganisms forming copious biofilms in and on the Fe-precipitates. This study investigates the uranium speciation in these solutions of underground AMD waters using time resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The fluorescence lifetime of uranium species was best described with a mono-exponential decay, which indicates the presence of one major species. The analysis revealed that the uranium speciation in the AMD environment of Königstein is dominated by the highly mobile aquatic uranium sulfate species UO2SO4(aq), with precipitation of uranium being unlikely. Additionally, the presence of iron in the AMD reduces the fluorescence lifetime of the UO2SO4(aq) species significantly compared to iron-free solutions, leading to critical insights into uranium behavior in contaminated environments.
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title={Identification of the uranium speciation in an underground acid mine drainage environment},
author={Thuro Arnold and Nils Baumann},
year={2011},
language={en}
}TY - JOUR TI - Identification of the uranium speciation in an underground acid mine drainage environment AU - Thuro Arnold AU - Nils Baumann PY - 2011 LA - en ER -
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