Ultraviolet radiation restrains marine biofouling during uranium extraction from seawater†

Marine biofouling, which is related to the survival and reproduction of marine microorganisms, seriously limits uranium (U(VI)) extraction from seawater. In this work, the complex and varied effect of ultraviolet (UV) light on marine biofouling was revealed. Experimental results reveal that UV irradiation can influence and alter the biosynthesis pathways of amino acid, ribonucleic acid, glycoprotein and glycolipids and control the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the surface of the classic U(VI) extraction material poly(amidoxime) (PAO). The survival and reproduction of marine microorganisms on PAO surface can be effectively restrained by UV irradiation, and the adsorption capacities of PAO for U(VI) increase from ∼36.0 mg g⁻¹ to ∼56.0 mg g⁻¹ at pH 8.2 and 298 K. It results in the reduction of Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria phyla. The increased Proteobacteria phylum is important for the transformation of microorganisms in seawater. The change in the biological community reveals the excellent anti-biofouling effect of UV radiation in solving the marine biofouling problem during the uranium extraction task.