CAREER: Understanding Reactivity in American Native Impacted Uranium Mines (URANIUM): Research, Education and Outreach

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

PI: Cerrato Proposal: 1652619 The goal of this project is to identify governing biogeochemical mechanisms affecting the contamination and remediation of metals in organic-rich sediments in abandoned uranium (U) mine wastes in northwest and central New Mexico. Abandoned mine waste sites, many of which are located in Native American communities, remain inadequately managed in the United States; the occurrence and mobility of metals in such communities are poorly understood. Mine wastes can be used as sources of scarce precious metals for modern societal demands. Results from this project will help guide reclamation strategies with recovered materials potentially benefiting affected communities. Partnership with Native American communities in New Mexico will facilitate information exchange, access to sites, and collaborative training opportunities for students. The PI will investigate changes in U speciation and accumulation in organic-rich sediments by integrating ex-situ and in-situ spectroscopy, microscopy, and synchrotron-based real-time experiments. This fundamental knowledge will open new possibilities for future reclamation strategies to integrate remediation with metal recovery processing from mine wastes using local resources. The research objectives of this project are to: 1) quantify the dissolution rate of U-organic matter, uranium-phosphorus (U-P), uranium-vanadium (U-V), and U-oxide bearing minerals from abandoned mine wastes after exposure to surface oxidizing laboratory conditions; 2) determine how the interfacial interaction between aqueous U and organic-rich sediments affects U redox and binding with organic matter functional groups in solids by integrating X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), synchrotron based real time X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and aqueous chemistry measurements; and 3) identify the governing mechanisms that affect the accumulation of U in plants at the interface of water and organic-rich sediments. The education objectives are to: 1) develop an educational approach to effectively communicate scientific outcomes related to potential health hazards associated with metals present in abandoned mine wastes to Native American communities; 2) develop a training program to increase participation and empowerment of Native American students to engage in Environmental Science and Engineering; and 3) present relevant scientific activities and findings of the URANIUM project at the New Mexico Museum for Natural History & Science to raise awareness of the legacy of abandoned mine wastes for K-12 students and general audiences. The outcomes of this project will directly impact Native American communities in New Mexico and have implications for other sites worldwide confronting the legacy of abandoned mine wastes.