• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.187-203
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• 2011

Chlorophenols (CPs) are widely used industrial chemicals that have been identified as being toxic to both humans and the environment. Zero valent iron (ZVI) and iron based bimetallic systems have the potential to efficiently dechlorinate CPs. This paper reviews the research conducted in this area over the past decade, with emphasis on the processes and mechanisms for the removal of CPs, as well as the characterization and role of the iron oxides formed on the ZVI surface. The removal of dissolved CPs in iron-water systems occurs via dechlorination, sorption and co-precipitation. Although ZVI has been commonly used for the dechlorination of CPs, its long term reactivity is limited due to surface passivation over time. However, iron based bimetallic systems are an effective alternative for overcoming this limitation. Bimetallic systems prepared by physically mixing ZVI and the catalyst or through reductive deposition of a catalyst onto ZVI have been shown to display superior performance over unmodified ZVI. Nonetheless, the efficiency and rate of hydrodechlorination of CPs by bimetals depend on the type of metal combinations used, properties of the metals and characteristics of the target CP. The presence and formation of various iron oxides can affect the reactivities of ZVI and bimetals. Oxides, such as green rust and magnetite, facilitate the dechlorination of CPs by ZVI and bimetals, while oxide films, such as hematite, maghemite, lepidocrocite and goethite, passivate the iron surface and hinder the dechlorination reaction. Key environmental parameters, such as solution pH, presence of dissolved oxygen and dissolved co-contaminants, exert significant impacts on the rate and extent of CP dechlorination by ZVI and bimetals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.141-151
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• 1977

Distribution of tellurite and tellurate-reducing enzymes in the cell of Nocardia sp, the purifcation and the chemical properties of enzymes were investigated. Tellurite- and tellurate-reducing enzymes were located in the cytoplasm, but T. T. C. reduction part was in the cell membrane. Purification of tellurite- and tellurate-reducing enzymes was possible with the application of ammonium sulfate precipitation method and DEAE-Cellulose or CM-Cellulose column chromatographic method from the crude soluble part of the cell. On investigating the properties of purified enzyme, one of NADP, NADPH and reductive methylene blue(leucomethylene blue) was thought to react as a hydrogen donor. Both NADH and NADPH, or either of them would be physiological hydrogen donor.) In the reaction of this enzyme, either tellurite or tellurate reacts as a hydrogen acceptor, but on the other hand either selenate or selenate also reacts as a hydrogen acceptor.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.471-477
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• 2009

An experimental removal of dissolved uranium (U) exsiting as uranyl ion (${UO_2}^{2+}$) was carried out using Shewanella p., iron-reducing bacterium. By the microbial reductive reaction, initial U concentration ($50{\mu}M$) was constantly decreased, and most U were removed from solution after 2 weeks. Major mechanism that U was removed from the solution was adsorption, precipitation and mineralization on the microbe surface. Under the transmission electron microscopy, the U adsorbed on the microbe was observed as being crystallized and eventually enlarged to several ${\mu}m$ sizes of minerals by combining with individual microbes and organic exudates. It seems that such U growth and mineralization on the microbial surface could affect the U behavior in a radioactive waste disposal site. Thus, the biogechemical reaction of metal-reducing bacteria observed in this experiment could give an affirmative measure that the microbial activity may retard U movement in subsurface environment.