ENVIRONMENT -- Nitrate's worst nightmare . . .
A newly isolated group of microbes holds great promise for removing nitrate and immobilizing uranium in contaminated groundwater and soil. Researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Miami University and Stanford University enriched a microbial culture capable of removing nitrate and found that this "denitrifying" biomass contains a diverse microbial community with some microbes capable of making uranium less soluble. ORNL's Philip Jardine of the Environmental Sciences Division noted that previous studies indicated that only certain species of metal- and sulfate-reducing bacteria are capable of reducing and immobilizing uranium. Additional field tests are in progress to determine the feasibility of using this biomass for removing nitrate and immobilizing uranium in soil and individual microbe's roles in the remediation process. The research is being conducted at the NABIR (Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research) Field Research Center in Oak Ridge. Funding for this research is provided by DOE's Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research. [Contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]
INSTRUMENTATION -- Symposium slated May 8-12 . . .
Some of the world's leading experts in sensors, instrumentation and measurement techniques will be at the Hilton Hotel in Knoxville May 8-12 for the 51st International Instrumentation Symposium. Included in the five-day event -- executive meetings and a dinner are scheduled for May 8 -- will be the presentation of some 70 technical papers, a vendor product exhibition and a number of short courses, Included in the tutorials is a course taught by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Wayne Manges about wireless systems. Man
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Contact: Ron Walli
wallira@ornl.gov
865-576-0226
DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
4-May-2005