A pilot study on the effect of desferrioxamine B on uranium VI precipitation and dissolution in pH 11.5, 0.1 M NaCl solutions

Abstract

A pilot study investigating the possible role of desferrioxamine B (DFOB) to prevent UVI precipitation in alkaline NaCl solutions was carried out. Desferrioxamine B is a hydroxamate siderophore occurring naturally in the environment. The siderophore can possibly mobilize UVI from a wide range of sources such as mine tailings, contaminated land and radioactive waste storage and disposal facilities. The results from a series of batch experiments covering a wide range of naturally occurring concentrations over relevant time scales (3 days and 2 months) show that DFOB can quantitatively prevent UVI precipitation as ≥ 0.2 μm precipitates when 130 µM and 420 µM of the DFOB is present in solution. The impact is minimized as its concentration decrease to below 10 µM, suggesting these ligands will have a less mobilizing effect on uranium from a geological disposal facility if present in its VI oxidation state.