Solving the biofouling problem of uranium extraction from seawater by plasma technology†

The effective extraction of uranium (U(VI)) from seawater is critical for the development of nuclear energy in the near future. Biofouling is one of the core problems of U(VI) extraction from seawater that must be solved soon. In this work, plasma technology is applied to solve the biofouling problem of U(VI) extraction from seawater. The experimental results show that reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed during the plasma discharging process can effectively kill marine microorganisms in 30 min by destroying their membrane structure and removing their extracellular polymers (EPS), which can improve its U(VI) adsorption capability. Plasma treatment also significantly affects the microorganism compositions in natural seawater and can effectively kill Proteobacteria species including Vibrio alginolyticus. In summary, plasma sterilization is fast, effective, and simple. It can solve the biofouling problem and simultaneously improve the recovery capability of poly(amidoxime) (PAO)-based materials for U(VI) from seawater.