Microorganisms and Hazardous Waste: Insights into Bioremediation and Safe Disposal

Dear Colleagues,

Increased interest in nuclear energy has led to proposals for renewed interest in the development of uranium resources. However, decades of nuclear activities have left a considerable heritage of environmental contamination. In addition, this is the most important source of radioactive wastes that have to be managed safely and economically.

Microorganisms are proposed as an eco-friendly solution for the remediation of radioactive waste environments. By their metabolism, they have the potential to alter the solubility of a broad range of priority radionuclides, including uranium, other actinides and fission products. Additionally, biogeochemical–microbial interactions play a crucial role in controlling the speciation and mobility of such elements, through direct metabolic mechanisms, or indirectly by changing ambient redox/pH conditions.

Many advances have been performed to elucidate these mechanisms. Nevertheless, there is still an urgent requirement to explore concepts for practicable technologies that can be applied to these ends.

It is necessary to expand and intensify studies about microbe–hazardous waste interactions, for example, how they may control radionuclide (especially uranium) mobility, and how they can be applied to bioremediate hazardous pollutants.

This Special Issue thus welcomes research on all these challenges. We look forward to your valuable contributions.

Dr. Fadwa Jroundi
Dr. Cristina Povedano-Priego
Dr. Mohamed Larbi Merroun
Guest Editors

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