# Bacteria Discovered That Lock Toxic Uranium Into a Stable New Compound

*2026-08-10 10:02 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> Bacteria fed glycerol converted 95% of dissolved uranium in contaminated mine water into a stable new compound within 130 days.

Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, working with Wismut GmbH and the University of Granada, found that naturally occurring bacteria can convert dissolved uranium in contaminated mine water into a stable, less hazardous form. Fed glycerol as an energy source, the microbes reduced uranium levels in water from a flooded former mine in Germany's Ore Mountains by about 95% within 130 days.

The bacteria produced FeU(V)O4, a rare pentavalent uranium compound bound with iron and oxygen that resists breaking back down even after long exposure to oxygen. Lead researcher Antonio M. Newman-Portela said the compound had previously been considered only a fleeting intermediate state, making its stability unexpected.

The findings, published in Nature Communications, point toward using bacteria for bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater and mine sites, though researchers say further study is needed before real-world cleanup applications.

## Sources

- [sciencedaily.com](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260807035149.htm)
- [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-07-bacteria-dissolved-uranium-stable-compound.html)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/2162-bacteria-discovered-that-lock-toxic-uranium-into-a-stable-new-compound
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2235-vedci-objevili-bakterie-ktere-uzamknou-toxicky-uran-do-stabilni-nove-slouceniny