Twelve different powdered activated carbons (PACs) were screened under laboratory conditions to determine their performance in the removal of chlorite ions (ClO₂⁻) and in the production of chloride ions (Cl⁻) and chlorate ions (ClO₃⁻) during that removal. All screenings were conducted in reagent water, at pH 7.0 ± 0.2 pH units, with a standard concentration of 20 mg/liter of powdered activated carbon (PAC) added in each case, and with the process and samples protected from light. One set of screening experiments was conducted with both ClO₂⁻ and chlorine added with the PAC, while the other set contained only ClO₂⁻, and PAC. The chlorine and ClO₂⁻ were added to concentration levels which might be expected in disinfection practice in water treatment plants. Periodic samples were drawn as the mixtures were stirred over a 24 hour period. Each sample was analyzed for Cl⁻, ClO₂⁻, and ClO₃⁻ concentrations utilizing ion chromatography. All PACs were found to reduce ClO₂⁻ to Cl, and ClO₃⁻ was never detected when chlorine was absent. The data provided no consistent significant evidence of ClO₃⁻ formation even when chlorine was present. The rate of ClO₂⁻ removal was most rapid in the first two hours of contact, but slowed to rates below 6 percent per hour after 4 hours of contact. Rates of ClO₂⁻ removal varied with PAC type. The overall rate of ClO₂⁻ removal was also slower, with the total percentage of ClO₂⁻ removal less, when chlorine was present in the mixture. / Master of Science

The diagenesis of rocks during burial occurs in response to changing temperature, pressure, and solution composition. Due to their geologic abundance, high surface area, and reactivity clay minerals are important participants in the diagenesis of clastic rocks. The kinetic and thermodynamic stability of clays is in general poorly understood. This dissertation research measured the rate of transformation of kaolinite to muscovite/illite and developed a method to estimate clay mineral thermodynamic stability. Clastic rock diagenesis is controlled by the rates of silicate mineral growth and transformation. Marine mudstones commonly contain large proportions of kaolinite which reacts during diagenesis to form muscovite/illite and/or chlorite. Batch reactor experiments were used to measure the reaction rate of 1.5 kaolinite + K⁺ = muscovite + H⁺ + 1.5 H₂O using the initial rate method and a fitted form of the integrated rate equation. Experiments were performed at temperatures ranging from 250° to 307°C with solutions of 0.5 - 2.0 m KCl. These results can then be extrapolated to diagenetic temperatures using the Arrhenius equation. ln addition, a technique was developed to estimate the ΔG_f0 and ∆H_f0 of silicate minerals. Silicate minerals have been shown to act as a combination of basic polyhedral units (Hazen 1985 and 1988). This work showed that their thermodynamic properties could be modeled as the sum of polyhedral contributions. A multiple linear regression model was used to find the contribution of the oxide and hydroxide components (gᵢ and hᵢ) to the ΔG_f0 and ∆H_f0 of a selected group of aluminosilicate minerals at 298 K. The ΔG_f0 and ∆H_f0 of other silicate minerals can be estimated from a weighted sum of the contribution of each oxide and hydroxide component (gᵢ and hᵢ). These results can be also used to estimate the ΔG_f0 of silicate minerals at higher temperatures (up to =600 K) by using the equation, gᵢ(T)= hᵢ(298) - T((hᵢ(298)-gᵢ(298))/298) / Ph. D.

All real property in Virginia, including mineral land, improvements thereon, and minerals, is reserved for localities as a source of tax revenue. The ad valorem taxation of mineral property has traditionally been a responsibility of county commissioners of the revenue. Because of the technical nature of mineral property assessment and the lack of expert assistance available to commissioners of the revenue, there arises a question as to the equity with which mineral property is taxed. Since coal is Virginia's most extensive mineral resource, the study was confined to the ad valorem taxation of coal property. It was found that often economic factors such as thickness of the seem, quality of the coal, and location of the deposit are not considered by commissioners of the revenue in evaluating coal property. Investigations made in the large coal-producing counties revealed wide variations in assessment procedures, involving heavy reliance on information obtained from the owners of coal deposits. This indicates the probable existence of inequalities in the assessment of mineral property. A comparison of assessed valuation and the taxes levied thereon with the value of mineral production further indicates the existence of inequalities. It was found that the taxes levied on all mineral property, and the taxes levied on mineral property under development only, amounted to 0.L and 0.1 percent, respectively, of the value of mineral production. Also indicated, but not conclusively, was a lower ratio of assessed to actual value for coal property than for ordinary real property. A majority of the commissioners of the revenue interviewed felt that improvements needed to be made in assessment procedures in order to bring about a more equitable ad valorem taxation of mineral property. Assistance similar to that provided counties in the assessment of ordinary real property by the State Department of Taxation would seem a logical solution to the problem of attaining accurate mineral property assessment data. Such assistance might be properly provided by the Virginia Geological Survey. The provision of assistance in determining the extent and value of mineral property would overcome the basic difficulty associated with the ad valorem taxation of such property. / Master of Science

Studies were conducted to determine the effects of feeding lasalocid and monensin upon mineral status of ruminants, changes in digestive and renal physiology which bring about altered mineral status, and the effects of dietary K upon the actions of ionophores. Two 84-d grazing trials were conducted with steers fed no ionophore, 200 mg lasalocid, or 150 mg monensin. Monensin tended to increase gain of steers, but lasalocid had no effect. Feeding supplemental lasalocid and monensin altered Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Cu, Fe and Zn status of grazing steers, but effects were not consistent. Twenty-four crossbred steers were individually fed in a 147-d finishing trial to study a possible K x monensin interaction. Steers were fed diets ad libitum containing .4% or 2.3% K, with or without 23 ppm monensin, dry basis. Feeding monensin with low K increased serum Na, Mg, inorganic P, Cu and Zn, but monensin fed with high K had no effect or decreased these serum minerals. Fifteen wethers, fitted with abomasal and ileal cannulae, were fed a basal diet alone or supplemented with 23 ppm lasalocid or monensin; Apparent absorption of Mg, K and Fe increased when ionophores were fed. Magnesium flow through the small and large intestines was decreased by lasalocid and monensin. Effects of lasalocid and monensin differed for metabolism, digestive tract flow and (or) partial absorption of Ca, P, Cu, Fe and Zn. Twelve ewe lambs were used in a renal clearance experiment. Lambs were fed a basal diet with no ionophore, 23 ppm lasalocid, or 23 ppm monensin, dry basis. Ionophores were fed starting on d 1 of the experimental period. Serial collections of blood and urine were made during d 1 and d 5 of the experimental period. Monensin reduced urine flow rate at d 1 and d 5. Feeding monensin lowered serum clearance and urinary excretion rates of Na and K at d 5. Serum clearance and urinary excretion rates of Ca were lower in sheep fed ionophores at d 1. Feeding monensin decreased serum clearance and urinary excretion rates of Cu at d 1. At d 5, urinary excretion rates of Zn were greater when lasalocid was fed, and lower when monensin was fed, compared to feeding no ionophore. These studies indicate that dietary lasalocid and monensin can alter mineral status of ruminants, although their effects may differ. The effects of ionophores may be dependent upon dietary K levels. / Ph. D.

M.Sc., Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, 1992

Manguezais são ecossistemas de transição entre ambientes continental e marinho. Estão amplamente distribuídos ao longo da costa brasileira, sob grande variabilidade de condições climáticas, oceanográficas, geológicas e geomorfológicas. A mineralogia dos solos reflete e interfere nos processos de formação de solos e no comportamento biogeoquímico de nutrientes e potenciais substâncias poluentes, orgânicas e inorgânicas. O presente estudo avaliou a composição mineralógica dos solos de oito manguezais, do litoral sul ao norte do país, por meio de DRX, infravermelho e MET, das frações finas (silte, argila total e argila fina). A assembléia mineralógica da fração argila é composta, predominantemente, por caulinita, esmectita, ilitas férricas e traços de quartzo e gibbsita. Na argila fina, observou-se a presença de grandes quantidades de caulinita e esmectitas, provavelmente férricas, associadas a algum mineral 2:1 HE além de ilita de baixa cristalinidade interestratificada com minerais expansivos. Dados de semi-quantificação e características cristalográficas de caulinitas e ilitas revelam que a geologia das áreas continentais adjacentes aos manguezais influencia diretamente a assembléia mineralógica dos solos desses ambientes. Sob esse olhar, três padrões de manguezais foram identificados ao longo da costa: manguezais influenciados diretamente por sedimentos derivados de solos desenvolvidos sobre materiais geológicos do escudo cristalino pré-cambriano, com caulinitas pouco cristalinas, ilitas originadas das micas presentes nas rochas correspondentes e esmectitas autigênicas; manguezais próximos a áreas dos tabuleiros terciários do grupo Barreiras, com caulinitas mais cristalinas e menores teores de minerais 2:1; e aqueles sob influência de materiais advindos do clima semi-árido nordestino (menos alterados), com grande quantidade de minerais 2:1 neoformados e herdados dos solos dessas áreas adjacentes, o que pode ser apoiado pelas maiores quantidades de ilitas, com cristalinidade menor. Estudos mais específicos acerca da composição química dos minerais e de seus mecanismos geoquímicos de formação devem ser realizados futuramente, para melhor entendimento dos processos propostos e sua relação com a dinâmica biogeoquímica de importantes elementos nesses ambientes, especialmente do Fe presente nos filossilicatos. / Mangroves are transitional ecosytems between continental and marine environments. Its widely distributed along Brazilian coast under great variability of climatic, oceanographic, geological and geomorphological conditions. Its soil mineralogy has a relevant role in the pedogenic processes and biogeochemical behavior of nutrients and potential inorganic and organic pollutants substances. The present study evaluated the mineralogical composition of fine fractions (silt, clay and fine clay) of eight Brazilian mangrove soils of south to north coast using XRD, infrared spectrometry and TEM analyses. The mineralogical assemblage of clay fraction consists on kaolinite, smectite, ferric illite and traces of quartz and gibbsite. In fine clay fraction it can be observed great amounts of kaolinite and smectites, probably ferric, associated with 2:1 hydroxy interlayered minerals beyond poorly crystalline illite-smectite interstratified minerals. Semi-quantification data and kaolinite/illite crystallographic characteristics reveal the importance of geological materials of continental adjacent areas for mineralogical composition of mangrove soils. Thus three different patterns were identified along the coast: mangrove influenced directly by sediments derived from soils developed on geological materials of Pre-Cambrian basement rocks, with poorly crystalline kaolinites, illite transformed from diagenetic mica present in Pre-Cambrian and authigenic smectites; mangroves next to Tertiary Barreiras Group sediments, with better crystalline kaolinites and less amounts of 2:1 phyllosilicates; and mangroves under influence of sediments that come from soils developed under northeastern semi-arid climate (less weathered), evidenced by great amounts of inherited and neoformed 2:1 phyllosilicates and poorly-crystalline illite. More specific studies about clay minerals chemical composition and its geochemical formation mechanisms should be performed in future, for better understanding of proposed processes and its relation with the biogeochemical dynamics of certain elements in this environment, specially the iron present in phyllosilicates.

Hypersaline tidal flats (HTFs) are transitional ecosystems commonly occurring in arid and semiarid coastal areas. (e.g. Australia and New Caledonia), Africa (e.g. Senegal, Gambia, and Madagascar), Central America (e.g. Nicaragua), South America (e.g. Ecuador and on the north, northeast, and southeast Brazilian coasts). Due to their location, HTFs might exert biogeochemical control over cycling of nutrients (e.g. Fe and Si) across the land to ocean transition, accelerating or retarding the nutrient export to the ocean and other adjacent ecosystems. This biogeochemical control is governed by soil physicochemical conditions (e.g. pH and salinity) and pedogenesis (e.g. redox processes). Thus, study of the soil coloidal fraction, the pedogenic processes, and the distribution of Si in the different soil components can provide a detailed characterization of HTF soils and give insights into the Si dynamics in these environments. In view of this, two HTFs on the Brazilian coast were studied on the Brazilian coast and the data are presented here. The first chapter aims to investigate the pedogenesis in HTF soils based on detailed morphological descriptions and Fe and Mn sequential extractions. The second chapter discusses silicon geochemistry in HTF soils based on sequential extractions, SEM, and XRD modeling of the fine clay fraction. And lastly, the third one reports the characteristics, distribution, and genesis of clay minerals in HTF soils on the basis of XRD modeling, TEM-EDS, FTIR, and XRF analysis. Redox reactions control the pedogenic evolution in HTF soils. These processes lead to a mobilization of Fe2+ and Mn2+ upward in the soils profiles, followed by oxidation and precipitation of Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides. These reactions, along with pyrite oxidation, lead to a transformation of the deeper soil horizons. Formation of Fe oxyhydroxides in the uppermost soil horizons exerts control on Si dynamics by co-precipitation and adsorption reactions. Together, Si associated with Fe oxyhydroxides and amorphous silicates are the main components of the readily soluble Si pool in HTF soils. The environmental conditions are conducive to clay transformations in the soils. Our data indicate that kaolinite is progressively altered to Mg-rich smectite through mixed-layering, withdrawing Si from the soil porewater. / Planícies hipersalinas costeiras (PHCs) são ecossistemas transicionais comumente encontrados em regiões áridas e semiárias. Estes ambientes são encontrados em várias regiões do mundo, tais como Oceania (e.g. Austrália e Nova Caledónia), África (e.g. Senegal, Gambia e Madagascar), América Central (e.g. Nicarágua), América do Sul (e.g. Equador e as costas norte, nordeste e sudeste do Brasil). Por estarem posicionados na transição entre os ecossistemas marinhos e de terras altas, os solos de PHCs devem exercer um controle biogeoquímico na ciclagem de nutrientes (e.g. Si e Fe), afetando o fluxo dos mesmo para o oceano e ecossitemas adjacentes. Este controle biogeoquímico é governado pelas condições fisico-químicas do meio (e.g. pH e salinidade) e pelos processos pedogenéticos atuantes nos solos (e.g. processos redox). Desta forma, o estudo da fração coloidal, da pedogênese e da distribuição do Si nos diferentes componentes do solo possibilita caracterizar detalhadamente os solos de PHCs e desvendar os processos que controlam a dinâmica de Si no ambiente. Portanto, duas PHCs localizadas na costa brasileira foram estudadas e os resultados estão apresentados em três capítulos nesta tese. O primeiro capítulo teve por objetivo investigar a pedogênese em PHCs com base em estudos morfológicos e extrações sequenciais de Fe e Mn. O segundo discute a geoquímica de silício nos solos com base em extrações sequenciais, MEV e modelagem de raios-X da fração argila fina. O terceiro capítulo discorre sobre as características, distribuição e gênese de argilominerais nos solos com base em modelagem de raios-X, MET-EDS, FTIR e FRX. As reações redox parecem controlar a evolução pedogenética nestes solos, as quais levam à mobilização ascendente de Fe2+ e Mn2+ nos perfis, oxidação da pirita e, consequentemente, transformação dos horizontes mais profundos. Estes processos também são responsáveis pela formação de oxihidróxidos de Fe e Mn nos horizontes superiores dos perfis de solo, levando à um controle do Si por reações de co-precipitação e adsorção envolvendo oxihidróxidos de Fe. O Si associado aos oxihidróxidos de Fe e silicatos amorfos são os principais componentes da fração mais solúvel de Si nos solos estudados. As condições ambientais nas PHCs são favoráveis às transformações minerais. Os dados indicam que a caulinita é alterada para esmectitas magnesianas por processos de interestratificação, removendo Si da solução do solo.

Submitted by Cássia Santos (cassia.bcufg@gmail.com) on 2017-07-17T10:48:59Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Luciana Gonçalves Tibiriçá - 2017.pdf: 6686915 bytes, checksum: c0dc9c3a9ceb807167d37d609bd0cd3f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-07-17T11:22:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Luciana Gonçalves Tibiriçá - 2017.pdf: 6686915 bytes, checksum: c0dc9c3a9ceb807167d37d609bd0cd3f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-17T11:22:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Luciana Gonçalves Tibiriçá - 2017.pdf: 6686915 bytes, checksum: c0dc9c3a9ceb807167d37d609bd0cd3f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-17 / The State of Goiás (Brazil) has in the mining activity a relevant source of gathering funds and which is part of its history of occupation and formation of urban networks. The mining activity is administrated by technical criteria defined by the Brazilian Department of Mining Production (as known as DNPM), being environmental licensing a part that integrates them. With the pointed requirements on the environmental legislation, the formal mining exploration has adapted itself in front of the need of conserve/preserve the environment considering the geological and geographical conditions. Present in several industries, the use of mineral resources allows the development of varied goods, moving finance market and creating jobs. From the principles that mining is an activity of wide economic impact, involves environmental problems and that the mining activity of the State of Goiás needs deep researches of characterization, we developed this thesis. The assessment of the several mineral was made by the employment of a methodology in municipal scale, from those with major revenue arising from the mineral compensation due to the extraction of metallic minerals or non metallic more profitable currently for Goiás, beyond the sand considering the period between 2010 and 2014. The results show that in the social aspect, the difference between the main mining municipalities of Goiás is not relevant, even with the contribution from the mineral compensation. For the municipalities producers of sand, the economic impact is minimum and there are difficulties in following the recuperation of degraded areas, because the resource is not enough to enable the manager the actions of local development. / O Estado de Goiás tem na mineração uma fonte de arrecadação relevante e que faz parte de sua história de ocupação e formação das redes urbanas. A atividade mineral é administrada por critérios técnicos definidos pelo Departamento Nacional da Produção Mineral (DNPM), sendo que o licenciamento ambiental é parte integrante dos mesmos. Com as exigências apontadas nas legislações ambientais, a exploração mineral formal tem se adaptado frente à necessidade de conservar/preservar o ambiente considerando as condições geológicas e geográficas. Presente em diversas indústrias, o uso dos recursos minerais permite o desenvolvimento de produtos variados, movimentando o mercado financeiro e gerando emprego. A partir dos princípios de que a mineração é uma atividade de amplo impacto econômico, envolve problemas ambientais e que a mineração goiana necessita de pesquisas de caracterização mais aprofundadas, desenvolveu-se esta tese. Para avaliação dos diversos minérios empregou-se uma metodologia em escala municipal, a partir daqueles com maior receita oriunda da compensação mineral decorrente da extração de minérios metálicos ou não metálicos mais rentáveis atualmente para Goiás, além da areia considerando o período entre 2010 e 2014. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que no aspecto social, a diferença entre os principais municípios mineradores de Goiás não é relevante, apesar do aporte advindo da compensação mineral. Para os municípios produtores de areia, o impacto econômico é mínimo e há dificuldades em acompanhar a recuperação das áreas degradadas, pois o recurso não é suficiente para possibilitar ao gestor as ações de desenvolvimento local.

Manguezais são ecossistemas de transição entre ambientes continental e marinho. Estão amplamente distribuídos ao longo da costa brasileira, sob grande variabilidade de condições climáticas, oceanográficas, geológicas e geomorfológicas. A mineralogia dos solos reflete e interfere nos processos de formação de solos e no comportamento biogeoquímico de nutrientes e potenciais substâncias poluentes, orgânicas e inorgânicas. O presente estudo avaliou a composição mineralógica dos solos de oito manguezais, do litoral sul ao norte do país, por meio de DRX, infravermelho e MET, das frações finas (silte, argila total e argila fina). A assembléia mineralógica da fração argila é composta, predominantemente, por caulinita, esmectita, ilitas férricas e traços de quartzo e gibbsita. Na argila fina, observou-se a presença de grandes quantidades de caulinita e esmectitas, provavelmente férricas, associadas a algum mineral 2:1 HE além de ilita de baixa cristalinidade interestratificada com minerais expansivos. Dados de semi-quantificação e características cristalográficas de caulinitas e ilitas revelam que a geologia das áreas continentais adjacentes aos manguezais influencia diretamente a assembléia mineralógica dos solos desses ambientes. Sob esse olhar, três padrões de manguezais foram identificados ao longo da costa: manguezais influenciados diretamente por sedimentos derivados de solos desenvolvidos sobre materiais geológicos do escudo cristalino pré-cambriano, com caulinitas pouco cristalinas, ilitas originadas das micas presentes nas rochas correspondentes e esmectitas autigênicas; manguezais próximos a áreas dos tabuleiros terciários do grupo Barreiras, com caulinitas mais cristalinas e menores teores de minerais 2:1; e aqueles sob influência de materiais advindos do clima semi-árido nordestino (menos alterados), com grande quantidade de minerais 2:1 neoformados e herdados dos solos dessas áreas adjacentes, o que pode ser apoiado pelas maiores quantidades de ilitas, com cristalinidade menor. Estudos mais específicos acerca da composição química dos minerais e de seus mecanismos geoquímicos de formação devem ser realizados futuramente, para melhor entendimento dos processos propostos e sua relação com a dinâmica biogeoquímica de importantes elementos nesses ambientes, especialmente do Fe presente nos filossilicatos. / Mangroves are transitional ecosytems between continental and marine environments. Its widely distributed along Brazilian coast under great variability of climatic, oceanographic, geological and geomorphological conditions. Its soil mineralogy has a relevant role in the pedogenic processes and biogeochemical behavior of nutrients and potential inorganic and organic pollutants substances. The present study evaluated the mineralogical composition of fine fractions (silt, clay and fine clay) of eight Brazilian mangrove soils of south to north coast using XRD, infrared spectrometry and TEM analyses. The mineralogical assemblage of clay fraction consists on kaolinite, smectite, ferric illite and traces of quartz and gibbsite. In fine clay fraction it can be observed great amounts of kaolinite and smectites, probably ferric, associated with 2:1 hydroxy interlayered minerals beyond poorly crystalline illite-smectite interstratified minerals. Semi-quantification data and kaolinite/illite crystallographic characteristics reveal the importance of geological materials of continental adjacent areas for mineralogical composition of mangrove soils. Thus three different patterns were identified along the coast: mangrove influenced directly by sediments derived from soils developed on geological materials of Pre-Cambrian basement rocks, with poorly crystalline kaolinites, illite transformed from diagenetic mica present in Pre-Cambrian and authigenic smectites; mangroves next to Tertiary Barreiras Group sediments, with better crystalline kaolinites and less amounts of 2:1 phyllosilicates; and mangroves under influence of sediments that come from soils developed under northeastern semi-arid climate (less weathered), evidenced by great amounts of inherited and neoformed 2:1 phyllosilicates and poorly-crystalline illite. More specific studies about clay minerals chemical composition and its geochemical formation mechanisms should be performed in future, for better understanding of proposed processes and its relation with the biogeochemical dynamics of certain elements in this environment, specially the iron present in phyllosilicates.

Hypersaline tidal flats (HTFs) are transitional ecosystems commonly occurring in arid and semiarid coastal areas. (e.g. Australia and New Caledonia), Africa (e.g. Senegal, Gambia, and Madagascar), Central America (e.g. Nicaragua), South America (e.g. Ecuador and on the north, northeast, and southeast Brazilian coasts). Due to their location, HTFs might exert biogeochemical control over cycling of nutrients (e.g. Fe and Si) across the land to ocean transition, accelerating or retarding the nutrient export to the ocean and other adjacent ecosystems. This biogeochemical control is governed by soil physicochemical conditions (e.g. pH and salinity) and pedogenesis (e.g. redox processes). Thus, study of the soil coloidal fraction, the pedogenic processes, and the distribution of Si in the different soil components can provide a detailed characterization of HTF soils and give insights into the Si dynamics in these environments. In view of this, two HTFs on the Brazilian coast were studied on the Brazilian coast and the data are presented here. The first chapter aims to investigate the pedogenesis in HTF soils based on detailed morphological descriptions and Fe and Mn sequential extractions. The second chapter discusses silicon geochemistry in HTF soils based on sequential extractions, SEM, and XRD modeling of the fine clay fraction. And lastly, the third one reports the characteristics, distribution, and genesis of clay minerals in HTF soils on the basis of XRD modeling, TEM-EDS, FTIR, and XRF analysis. Redox reactions control the pedogenic evolution in HTF soils. These processes lead to a mobilization of Fe2+ and Mn2+ upward in the soils profiles, followed by oxidation and precipitation of Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides. These reactions, along with pyrite oxidation, lead to a transformation of the deeper soil horizons. Formation of Fe oxyhydroxides in the uppermost soil horizons exerts control on Si dynamics by co-precipitation and adsorption reactions. Together, Si associated with Fe oxyhydroxides and amorphous silicates are the main components of the readily soluble Si pool in HTF soils. The environmental conditions are conducive to clay transformations in the soils. Our data indicate that kaolinite is progressively altered to Mg-rich smectite through mixed-layering, withdrawing Si from the soil porewater. / Planícies hipersalinas costeiras (PHCs) são ecossistemas transicionais comumente encontrados em regiões áridas e semiárias. Estes ambientes são encontrados em várias regiões do mundo, tais como Oceania (e.g. Austrália e Nova Caledónia), África (e.g. Senegal, Gambia e Madagascar), América Central (e.g. Nicarágua), América do Sul (e.g. Equador e as costas norte, nordeste e sudeste do Brasil). Por estarem posicionados na transição entre os ecossistemas marinhos e de terras altas, os solos de PHCs devem exercer um controle biogeoquímico na ciclagem de nutrientes (e.g. Si e Fe), afetando o fluxo dos mesmo para o oceano e ecossitemas adjacentes. Este controle biogeoquímico é governado pelas condições fisico-químicas do meio (e.g. pH e salinidade) e pelos processos pedogenéticos atuantes nos solos (e.g. processos redox). Desta forma, o estudo da fração coloidal, da pedogênese e da distribuição do Si nos diferentes componentes do solo possibilita caracterizar detalhadamente os solos de PHCs e desvendar os processos que controlam a dinâmica de Si no ambiente. Portanto, duas PHCs localizadas na costa brasileira foram estudadas e os resultados estão apresentados em três capítulos nesta tese. O primeiro capítulo teve por objetivo investigar a pedogênese em PHCs com base em estudos morfológicos e extrações sequenciais de Fe e Mn. O segundo discute a geoquímica de silício nos solos com base em extrações sequenciais, MEV e modelagem de raios-X da fração argila fina. O terceiro capítulo discorre sobre as características, distribuição e gênese de argilominerais nos solos com base em modelagem de raios-X, MET-EDS, FTIR e FRX. As reações redox parecem controlar a evolução pedogenética nestes solos, as quais levam à mobilização ascendente de Fe2+ e Mn2+ nos perfis, oxidação da pirita e, consequentemente, transformação dos horizontes mais profundos. Estes processos também são responsáveis pela formação de oxihidróxidos de Fe e Mn nos horizontes superiores dos perfis de solo, levando à um controle do Si por reações de co-precipitação e adsorção envolvendo oxihidróxidos de Fe. O Si associado aos oxihidróxidos de Fe e silicatos amorfos são os principais componentes da fração mais solúvel de Si nos solos estudados. As condições ambientais nas PHCs são favoráveis às transformações minerais. Os dados indicam que a caulinita é alterada para esmectitas magnesianas por processos de interestratificação, removendo Si da solução do solo.