Chapter 12: Soil Bacteria in Radionuclide-Contaminated Soil Remediation

Radionuclides produced during nuclear fission or explosion in civil industries and research activities, such as isotopes of chromium, cesium, plutonium, radium, strontium, tritium, and uranium, could be released, contaminating the natural ecosystems, which can have serious impacts on living beings, causing carcinogenesis and mutagenesis, as well as on the environment. Therefore, proper management of radionuclide and heavy metal waste from potential sources is necessary through eco-friendly remediation methods. However, it is often very tedious to degrade radionuclides and heavy metals from contaminated sites; however, these can be effectively converted into less toxic forms, minimizing their hazardous effects. Radionuclide-contaminated environments are inhabited by various microorganisms resistant to such elements. The interaction of radionuclides and microbes represents a bioremediation strategy that includes biosorption, bioleaching, biomineralization, and biotransformation to withstand such stress conditions. This chapter provides a review of the sources of radionuclides and their effects on the environment, and it elucidates the microbial interaction with radionuclides. In addition, the advancement of biotechnological applications in bioremediation and approaches for environmental pollution control through detoxification and degradation of radionuclides are discussed.