The Upcoming 6Li Isotope Requirements Might Be Supplied by a Microalgal Enrichment Process

Díaz-Alejo, Héctor M.; López-Rodas, Victoria; García-Balboa, Camino; Tarín, Francisco; Barrado, Ana I.; Conde, Estefanía; Costas, Eduardo

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9081753

Open AccessArticle

The Upcoming ⁶Li Isotope Requirements Might Be Supplied by a Microalgal Enrichment Process

by

Héctor M. Díaz-Alejo

¹

,

Victoria López-Rodas

¹,

Camino García-Balboa

¹,

Francisco Tarín

²,

Ana I. Barrado

³,

Estefanía Conde

³ and

Eduardo Costas

^1,*

¹

School of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain

²

ENUSA Advanced Industries S.A., S.M.E., Santiago Rusiñol 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain

³

Spanish Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Microorganisms 2021, 9(8), 1753; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081753

Submission received: 20 July 2021 / Revised: 12 August 2021 / Accepted: 13 August 2021 / Published: 17 August 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Uranium and other Rare-Earth Elements in Contaminated Waters Using Bacteria and Microalgae: Adaptation, Capture, Use and Bioremediation)

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Abstract

Lithium isotopes are essential for nuclear energy, but new enrichment methods are required. In this study, we considered biotechnology as a possibility. We assessed the Li fractionation capabilities of three Chlorophyte strains: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Tetraselmis mediterranea, and a freshwater Chlorophyte, Desmodesmus sp. These species were cultured in Li containing media and were analysed just after inoculation and after 3, 12, and 27 days. Li mass was determined using a Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, and the isotope compositions were measured on a Thermo Element XR Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. The maximum Li capture was observed at day 27 with C. reinhardtii (31.66 µg/g). Desmodesmus sp. reached the greatest Li fractionation, (δ⁶ = 85.4‰). All strains fractionated preferentially towards ⁶Li. More studies are required to find fitter species and to establish the optimal conditions for Li capture and fractionation. Nevertheless, this is the first step for a microalgal nuclear biotechnology.

Keywords: lithium; fractionation; microalgae; biotechnology; stable isotopes

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MDPI and ACS Style

Díaz-Alejo, H.M.; López-Rodas, V.; García-Balboa, C.; Tarín, F.; Barrado, A.I.; Conde, E.; Costas, E. The Upcoming ⁶Li Isotope Requirements Might Be Supplied by a Microalgal Enrichment Process. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 1753. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081753

AMA Style

Díaz-Alejo HM, López-Rodas V, García-Balboa C, Tarín F, Barrado AI, Conde E, Costas E. The Upcoming ⁶Li Isotope Requirements Might Be Supplied by a Microalgal Enrichment Process. Microorganisms. 2021; 9(8):1753. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081753

Chicago/Turabian Style

Díaz-Alejo, Héctor M., Victoria López-Rodas, Camino García-Balboa, Francisco Tarín, Ana I. Barrado, Estefanía Conde, and Eduardo Costas. 2021. "The Upcoming ⁶Li Isotope Requirements Might Be Supplied by a Microalgal Enrichment Process" Microorganisms 9, no. 8: 1753. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081753

APA Style

Díaz-Alejo, H. M., López-Rodas, V., García-Balboa, C., Tarín, F., Barrado, A. I., Conde, E., & Costas, E. (2021). The Upcoming ⁶Li Isotope Requirements Might Be Supplied by a Microalgal Enrichment Process. Microorganisms, 9(8), 1753. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081753

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The Upcoming ⁶Li Isotope Requirements Might Be Supplied by a Microalgal Enrichment Process

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