Issue 3, 2024

Strontium-90 pollution can be bioremediated with the green microalga Tetraselmis chui

Abstract

Strontium-90 (90Sr) is an artificial radioisotope produced by nuclear fission, with a relatively long half-life of 29 years. This radionuclide is released into the environment in the event of a nuclear incident, posing a serious risk to human and ecosystem health. There is a need to develop new efficient methods for the remediation of 90Sr, as current techniques for its removal have significant technical limitations and involve high energy and economic costs. Recently, several species of green microalgae within the class Chlorodendrophyceae have been found to form intracellular mineral inclusions of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), which can be highly enriched in natural (non-radiogenic) Sr. As bioremediation techniques are an attractive option to address radioactive pollution, we investigated the capacity of the unicellular alga Tetraselmis chui (class Chlorodendrophyceae) to sequester 90Sr. The 90Sr uptake capacity of T. chui cells was assessed in laboratory cultures by monitoring the time course of radioactivity in the culture medium using liquid scintillation counting (LSC). T. chui was shown to effectively sequester 90Sr, reducing the initial radioactivity of the culture medium by up to 50%. Thus, this study demonstrates the potential of the microalga T. chui to be used as a bioremediation agent against 90Sr pollution.

Graphical abstract: Strontium-90 pollution can be bioremediated with the green microalga Tetraselmis chui

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 aug 2023
Accepted
05 feb 2024
First published
06 feb 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024,26, 622-631

Strontium-90 pollution can be bioremediated with the green microalga Tetraselmis chui

I. Segovia-Campos, A. Kanellakopoulos, I. J. Barrozo, E. Fock-Chin-Ming, M. Filella, A. B. Fontaine, S. Pallada, G. Triscone, K. Perron and D. Ariztegui, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, 26, 622 DOI: 10.1039/D3EM00336A

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