Fate of neptunium in an anaerobic, methanogenic microcosm.

Neptunium is found predominantly as Np(IV) in reducing environments, but Np(V) in aerobic environments. However, currently it is not known how the interplay between biotic and abiotic processes affects Np redox speciation in the environment. In order to evaluate the effect of anaerobic microbial activity on the fate of Np in natural systems, Np(V) was added to a microcosminoculated with anaerobic sediments from a metal-contaminated fresh water lake. The consortium included metal-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic microorganisms, and acetate was supplied as the only exogenous substrate. Addition of more than 10{sup {minus}5} M Np did not inhibit methane production. Total Np volubility in the active microcosm, as well as in sterilized control samples, decreased by nearly two orders of magnitude. A combination of analytical techniques, including VIS-NIR absorption spectroscopy and XANES, identified Np(IV) as the oxidation state associated with the sediments. The similar results from the active microcosm and the abiotic controls suggest that microbian y produced Mn(II/HI) and Fe(II) may serve as electron donors for Np reduction.

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