Uranium biosorption by a filamentous fungus Mucor miehei pH effect on mechanisms and performances of uptake

International audienceThis study focuses on uranium sorption mechanisms by Mucor miehei, a fungal biomass, used in agro-industries (enzyme synthesis). The pH plays an important part in these phenomena, mainly by its influence on metal or cell wall chemistry. Hydroxylation of uranyl, dependent on the pH and total metal concentration, influences kinetics, via the nature of the limiting phases: diffusion of metal through layers bordering or constituting the biomass, or intramembranar precipitation of uranyl initially adsorbed, and sorption mechanisms. With a moderate pH, sorption of uranylhydroxides modifies extracellular sorbent structures, consequently inducing a multilayer sorption opposed to monolayer adsorption obtained with acid pH. Uptake capacity is characterized by high values obtained even with low metal concentration in solution. Biosorbent could be a technical answer to pollution treatment and valorization of low charge waste streams and leaching solutions obtained in recovery of infra-marginal ores