Microfungal Alkylation and Volatilization of Selenium Adsorbed by Goethite

Selenium adsorbed in the oxyanionic form by Fe-oxides like goethite is considered of benefit for long-term stabilization of (79)Se under near field conditions of radionuclide waste disposal sites. However, microbe-mediated volatilization of the uranium fission product (79)Se has not yet been considered for risk assessment based on the use of the water-solid distribution coefficient K(D). We have performed incubation experiments in a ternary system selenium-microbe-goethite and show that mycobiota including the common black microfungi genera Alternaria alternata are capable of volatilizing the Se even if immobilized by goethite. The microfungi were incubated in a standardized nutrient broth …