biogeochemical cycles of radioactive wastes. In this chapter, we exclusively discuss
the role of microbes in decontaminating process of various hazardous radioactive
wastes.
Keywords Bioremediation · Radioactive wastes · Actinides · Bacteria · Fungi ·
Algae · Biotransformation · Biomineralization · Biosorption · Bioaccumulation
13.1 Introduction
The word pollution is one of the global concerns for today’s world. Urbanization and
industrialization are increasing exponentially to fulfil the demand of people for their
modernization. The process of modernization not only improves the living style of
human being but also causes severe environmental problems by release of different
types of waste material (Fontenelle et al. 2019; Jiang et al. 2008). Radioactive waste
material has become a serious environmental problem. In the twenty-first century,
every country is trying to increase the power by establishing nuclear power plants,
testing the nuclear weapons and reprocessing the nuclear weapons. As a result, the
radioactive wastes are generated as a by-product of such power generation (Toth
2008). The release of radioactive wastes into the environment from the atomic power
plants or other sources by prosperously or by accidentally contributes to the already
present wastes generated (Kumar et al. 2007). The half-life of these radioactive
waste ranges from hundreds to thousands years, i.e. more time is required to reduce
the radioactivity of that compounds by half. Due to long half-life periods of those
waste materials, the disposition of such materials become a challenge for
researchers, policy makers and the power generation agencies throughout the
world (Marra and Palmer 2011; Sherman 2015). Presently the most common
practice to throw out the radioactive waste is direct release in geological storage
site. But this process requires high maintenance and day by day the by-product
radioactive waste generation is increases therefore, maintenance and storage of such
volume of radioactive wastes becomes a big issue (Uzair et al. 2019). There are some
physical and chemical methods developed for the remediation of radioactive wastes.
Though these technologies showed little impressive results, but due to their high
cost, time consuming and some environmentally destructive nature, these techniques
fail to gain public acceptance (Valdovinos et al. 2017). In one report, it has been
mentioned that the remediation cost of a radioactive contaminated site is minimum
trillions of US dollar (Kyne and Bolin 2016). On the other hand, bioremediation
refers to the use of biological agents such as microbes, plants or any other living
things that help to reduce contamination to a non-toxic level or untraceable level.
Due to the low cost, eco-friendly and successful remediation ability, bioremediation
gain much attention for cleaning environments (Ite and Ibok 2019). Microbes
(bacteria, fungi and algae) have a great influence on radionuclide transformation,
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U. K. Vandana et al.
the role of microbes in decontaminating process of various hazardous radioactive
wastes.
Keywords Bioremediation · Radioactive wastes · Actinides · Bacteria · Fungi ·
Algae · Biotransformation · Biomineralization · Biosorption · Bioaccumulation
13.1 Introduction
The word pollution is one of the global concerns for today’s world. Urbanization and
industrialization are increasing exponentially to fulfil the demand of people for their
modernization. The process of modernization not only improves the living style of
human being but also causes severe environmental problems by release of different
types of waste material (Fontenelle et al. 2019; Jiang et al. 2008). Radioactive waste
material has become a serious environmental problem. In the twenty-first century,
every country is trying to increase the power by establishing nuclear power plants,
testing the nuclear weapons and reprocessing the nuclear weapons. As a result, the
radioactive wastes are generated as a by-product of such power generation (Toth
2008). The release of radioactive wastes into the environment from the atomic power
plants or other sources by prosperously or by accidentally contributes to the already
present wastes generated (Kumar et al. 2007). The half-life of these radioactive
waste ranges from hundreds to thousands years, i.e. more time is required to reduce
the radioactivity of that compounds by half. Due to long half-life periods of those
waste materials, the disposition of such materials become a challenge for
researchers, policy makers and the power generation agencies throughout the
world (Marra and Palmer 2011; Sherman 2015). Presently the most common
practice to throw out the radioactive waste is direct release in geological storage
site. But this process requires high maintenance and day by day the by-product
radioactive waste generation is increases therefore, maintenance and storage of such
volume of radioactive wastes becomes a big issue (Uzair et al. 2019). There are some
physical and chemical methods developed for the remediation of radioactive wastes.
Though these technologies showed little impressive results, but due to their high
cost, time consuming and some environmentally destructive nature, these techniques
fail to gain public acceptance (Valdovinos et al. 2017). In one report, it has been
mentioned that the remediation cost of a radioactive contaminated site is minimum
trillions of US dollar (Kyne and Bolin 2016). On the other hand, bioremediation
refers to the use of biological agents such as microbes, plants or any other living
things that help to reduce contamination to a non-toxic level or untraceable level.
Due to the low cost, eco-friendly and successful remediation ability, bioremediation
gain much attention for cleaning environments (Ite and Ibok 2019). Microbes
(bacteria, fungi and algae) have a great influence on radionuclide transformation,
330
U. K. Vandana et al.