Chemical reduction of U(VI) by Fe(II) at the solid-water interface using natural and synthetic Fe(III) oxides

Abiotic reduction of 0.1 mM U(VI) by Fe(II) in the presence of synthetic iron oxides (biogenic magnetite, goethite, and hematite) and natural Fe(III) oxide-containing solids was investigated in pH 6.8 artificial groundwater containing 10 mM NaHCO ₃. In most experiments, more than 95% of added U(VI) was sorbed to solids. U(VI) was rapidly and extensively (≥80%) reduced in the presence of synthetic Fe-(III) oxides and highly Fe(III) oxide-enriched (18-35 wt % Fe) Atlantic coastal plain sediments. In contrast, long-term (20-60 d) U(VI) reduction was less than 30% in suspensions of six other natural solids with relatively low Fe(III) oxide content (1-5 wt % Fe). Fe(II) sorption site density was severalfold lower on these natural solids (0.2-1.1 Fe(II) nm ^-2) compared to the synthetic Fe(III) oxides (1.6-3.2 Fe(II) nm ^-2), which may explain the poor U(VI) reduction in the natural solid-containing systems. Addition of the reduced form of the electron shuttling compound anthrahydroquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AH ₂DS; final concentration 2.5 mM) to the natural solid suspensions enhanced the rate and extent of U(VI) reduction, suggesting that AH ₂-DS reduced U(VI) at surface sites where reaction of U(VI) with sorbed Fe(II) was limited. This study demonstrates that abiotic, Fe(II)-driven U(VI) reduction is likely to be less efficient in natural soils and sediments than would be inferred from studies with synthetic Fe(III) oxides.