Experiments with microbial biofilms in microgravity and simulated microgravity have revealed altered growth kinetics, but geomicrobial biofilms have not yet been studied in low gravity environments. No characterisation of biofilms, geomicrobial or otherwise, have been conducted at hypergravity. This thesis explores factors affecting microbe-mineral interactions under terrestrial conditions, lays the groundwork for a scheduled microgravity experiment, and provides the first data on biofilms grown at hypergravity. As a first step in understanding microbe-mineral interactions in altered gravity environments, experiments were undertaken to identify factors that constrain attachment in a terrestrial environment. The model organism Sphingomonas desiccabilis and basaltic rock from Iceland were selected, and the minerals that make up the basalt were identified and procured in their pure form. The relative significance of physical factors such as hydrophobicity, surface charge, porosity and nutritional value were examined in relationship to the success with which biofilms colonised the mineral surfaces. Growth was measured by the quantity of biofilm biomass after a ifxed time period, using Crystal Violet stain, in order to draw conclusions about the most influential physical conditions on biofilm attachment to a substrate. It was found that mineral attachment is influenced more by porosity and nutritional value than by hydrophobicity or surface charge. To explore how reduced gravity affects biofilm formation and weathering rates, a European Space Agency experiment, BioRock, is underway. Samples of basalt, with monocultures of three different organisms, will be sent to the International Space Station in 2019 for long-term exposure to Martian and micro-gravity. Research testing proof of concepts, material compatibility, and experimental procedure and equipment is described. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to image the biofilms, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) experiments were conducted to compare biotic and abiotic elemental release rates from basalt. Both of these methods will be employed for post-flight analysis of BioRock. Preliminary terrestrial ICP-MS experiments indicated that rare Earth elements (REEs) showed the most reliable reflection of leaching patterns overall, as a consequence of their high molecular weight and low volatility during the ashing procedure. To fully understand gravity's effect on microbiological processes it is important to investigate what occurs when its influences are removed, but also to establish what occurs when extra gravitational force is applied. Using simulated hypergravity, achieved through hyper-acceleration on a geotechnical centrifuge, the effects of 10 x g on biofilm development and the leaching of basalt were investigated. As this was the first time that biofilms had been studied under hypergravity, additional substrates were included with the basalt, to enable characterisation of the more general response of biofilms to hypergravity. In contrast to previous experiments conducted on planktonic bacteria, which found decreased population sizes, the biofilms grown at 10 x g showed greater biomass than the 1 x g samples. ICP-MS showed no difference in the average weathering rates, but greater variability in the higher gravity samples. The data collected here advances our understanding of microbial interactions with geologically important substrates, with implications for an ISS microgravity experiment and future human space exploration. It also presents new intelligence on the previously unstudied effects of hypergravity on biofilms and rock weathering.

Masters of Science / Over the years, South Africa has produced over 468 million tons of mine waste yearly, in which gold mining waste accounted for 221 million tons (47%) of all mine waste produced, making it the largest, single source of waste and pollution. The exposure of these mine wastes such as tailings dams, waste rocks to oxidation and leaching has been the source of heavy metal release into the environment. This study assessed the magnitude of possibly leachable metals, its distribution and associations and predicted the AMD load discharge over time, from Mogale’s tailings dam into the environs in Randfontein area, Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa. Fifty-one tailings dam samples were analysed for their mineral and multi-elements contents. Petrography studies was done by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) technique to determine the mineralogical composition. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques were used to determine the multi-elements content in the tailings dam samples. The dataset were evaluated using multivariate statistics, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and geochemical mass balance techniques. From the results, the tailings dam lithology was grouped into four distinct layers. The uppermost oxidized layer is siliceous and contains the highest SiO2 (87.32%) contents, which is with the lowest contents in Tot/S, U, As, Zn, Ni, Co, and Cu. A downward decrease in SiO2 (76.39%) contents occurs, coupled by an increase in Fe2O3, Tot/S, U, As, Zn, Ni, Co, and Cu, reaching maximum contents in layer 3. Layer 4 is the least weathered horizon. The cluster analysis grouped the samples into four sub-clusters based on the variation in SiO2 and Al2O3 contents. Factor analysis (83.542% total data variance) related the four controlling factors of element distribution to the occurrence in ore elements (sulphides), silicates, mining additives and refractory minerals. Elements of the same origin show a similar concentration trend down hole in the GIS interpolation analysis. The geochemical mass balance showed variable gain and loss of oxides and trace elements within each layer. Based on the variation patterns of the Tot/S contents and other mobile elements, about 0.164kg/tonne/yr(±0.02) of the tailings materials are leached yearly. Layer 1 is the most altered. This assessment and prediction study therefore gives an insight to the geochemical behaviour of an abandoned tailings dam, highlighting its extent of oxidation. However, the interaction between the oxidized zone and transition zone should be given more attention, to determine the actual extent of damage.

[pt] O estudo da mecânica da fratura aplicada às rochas vem se desenvolvendo desde os anos 60. Seu principal parâmetro, a tenacidade à fratura, quantifica a capacidade que a rocha possui para absorver energia até atingir a ruptura. Seu conhecimento é muito importante em diversas áreas da engenharia de rochas, como análise de estabilidade de taludes rochosos, processos de desmonte de rochas, escavações na mineração, fraturamento hidráulico, mecânica de terremotos, dentre outros. O presente estudo apresenta e analisa a influência do grau de alteração na tenacidade à fratura, no modo I de propagação, através de ensaio CCNDB (corpo de prova em forma de disco brasileiro com entalhe em chevron), de rochas gnáissicas da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Amostras de diferentes graus de alteração foram caracterizadas quanto às suas propriedades mineralógicas, físicas (porosidade e peso específico) e mecânicas (resistência à compressão puntiforme, resistência à compressão uniaxial e resistência à tração). Nos resultados obtidos, são discutidas e realizadas correlações da tenacidade com as propriedades analisadas. Foi possível verificar que o grau de alteração é diretamente proporcional à porosidade e inversamente proporcional às resistências (compressão uniaxial e tração). Sendo assim, a rocha alterada apresenta maior porosidade e menor resistência, quando comparada com rochas menos alteradas (sãs e medianamente alteradas). A tenacidade à fratura para rochas medianamente alteradas é 45,9 por cento menor do que para rochas sãs, e 86,7 por cento menor para rochas alteradas. Assim sendo, o grau de alteração das rochas influencia, de maneira significativa, todas as propriedades analisadas. / [en] The study of fracture mechanics applied to rocks has been developed since 1960. The main parameter, fracture toughness, quantifies the rock ability to absorb energy until it ruptures. This knowledge is very important in several areas of rock engineering, such as stability analysis of rocky slopes, rock clearing processes, mining excavations, hydraulic fracturing, earthquake mechanic, among others. The study presents and analyzes the influence of the weathering class in the mode I fracture toughness of gneiss rocks in the city of Rio de Janeiro, using Cracked Chevron Noched Brazilian Disc (CCNDB). Samples of different classes were characterized for their mineralogical, physical (porosity and dry specific weight) and mechanical properties (point load strength, uniaxial compressive strength and tensile strength). The obtained results allowed correlations to be made between toughness and the other analyzed properties. By doing this, it was possible to verify that the weathering class of a rock is directly proportional to the porosity and inversely proportional to the strengths (uniaxial compressive and tensile). Thus, the highly weathered rock presents higher porosity and lower strength when compared to less weathered rocks (sound and moderated). The fracture toughness for moderately weathered rocks is 45,9 percent lower than sound rocks, and 86,7 percent smaller for highly weathered rocks. Therefore, the class of weathering rocks influences all the analyzed properties in a significant way.

Les latérites couvrent plus de 30% des surfaces émergées. Comprendre leur évolution future est essentiel pour prédire les changements qui affecteront le fonctionnement de la Zone Critique dans les siècles à venir. La littérature a pu montrer que les horizons indurés de ces sols comportaient plusieurs générations de minéraux secondaires qui pouvaient être reliées à différents événements paléoclimatiques. Des études isotopiques ont montré que les horizons non indurés de ces sols pouvaient aussi posséder des générations distinctes de minéraux secondaires. La datation par Résonance Paramagnétique Électronique, a été appliquée sur des kaolinites de latérites dans le but d’identifier si ce minéral possède bien plusieurs générations au sein d’un même profil et si ces dernières étaient corrélables avec des événements paléoclimatiques globaux ou régionaux. Au cours de cette thèse, deux régolithes du Plateau du Karnataka (Inde), quatre du bassin du Rio Négro (Brésil) et un de la région de Syerstone (Australie) ont été étudiés. Les résultats de ces datations ont permis de distinguer différentes générations de kaolinites au sein de chacun des profils étudiés. Ces dernières sont par ailleurs toutes corrélables avec des périodes de fortes précipitations liées aux évolutions climatiques régionales et/ou globales. Ces résultats confirment aussi l’existence du phénomène de rajeunissement profils latéritiques au cours des temps géologiques. Le travail de cette thèse corrobore l’hypothèse de l’évolution épisodique de ces sols tropicaux et souligne leur importante stabilité dans les temps géologiques. / Laterites are covering a third of the continental surfaces. Understanding their evolution through the ongoing climate change is critical to predict the future Critical Zone transformation. Laterite duricrusts can contain several generations of secondary minerals that can be correlated with distinct paleoclimatic events. Isotopic studies showed that loose laterites may also be formed by several generations of secondary minerals. The objective of this PhD was to confirm that loose laterites contain several generations of kaolinites and that they formed during regional and/or global paleoclimatic events. With this aim in view, a recent dating methodology, the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance dating of kaolinites, was used on tropical regolith profiles from three continents with distinct geodynamic histories: India (Karnataka plateau), South America (Rio Negro basin, Brazil) and Australia (Syerstone region, New South Wale). The data set of this PhD confirms that a regolith contains several generations of kaolinites. All the identified generations of the present study can be correlated with regional paleoclimatic events or with tropical weathering favourable periods initiated by global paleoclimatic trends. Kaolinite generations formed preferentially during high precipitations periods and result from the rejuvenation of laterite profiles. The results of this PhD confirm that laterites have an episodic evolution.

One of the most stunning works of art on the Scripps College campus is the mural Flower Vendors(1946). The artist,Alfredo Ramos Martínez, an influential figure in Mexican Modernism, executed the work using a variety of traditional and non-traditional techniques. Prior analysis of the work indicated the use of a wax emulsion medium and established the range of pigments used. Ramos Martínez’s use of lead chromate (chrome yellow, Pb(CrO4)) was unusual in wall painting, and the pigment itself has been shown to photodegrade and darken over time in oil paintings, due to the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The Pb(CrO4) in Flower Vendorsdoes not appear to have darkened, raising questions about the stability of lead chromate in a wax-emulsion medium relative to that of oil-based mediums. To better understand the behavior of lead chromate in wax-based mediums, a historical synthesis of lead chromate was recreated, and the pigment was suspended in four different binder matrices: a wax-water emulsion, refined linseed oil, cold-pressed linseed oil, and poppy oil. Each of these paint-binder mixtures wasaged beneath full-spectrum 6500 K LED lights. The relative darkening of the pigments was measured using UV-Vis reflectance colorimetry, and comparisons were made between the mediums.

<p>Tailings are a fine-grained waste product produced during the metal recovery process. Tailings consist mostly of different silicates but also sulfides (e.g. pyrite), since 100 % metal recovery is not possible. Freshly processed tailings are deposited in large impoundments. If the mine tailings in the impoundments are exposed to water and oxygen, the sulfides will oxidize and release acidity and metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb. The sulfide mineral oxidation reactions are catalyzed by sulfur and iron oxidizing bacteria (principally <i>Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans</i>) that oxidize ferrous iron to ferric iron, which then oxidizes pyrite. When the leachate produced by this process discharges from the impoundment, it is called acid mine drainage, which may lead to the pollution of adjacent streams and lakes.</p><p>The intention with this thesis is to investigate and quantify mineral weathering processes and element release rates occurring in water-saturated and soil-covered sulfidic mine tailings. The study was performed in different batch and column experiments in room temperature and in the laboratory. The batch experiments were conducted for ca. three months and investigated: a) microbial and abiotic sulfide oxidation in freshly processed tailings under oxic conditions at pH 2-3 and pH 8, b) microbial oxidation of pure pyrite grains at pH 2-3 under different oxygen concentrations ranging from anoxic to oxic conditions. The column experiments, consisting of unoxidized tailings in water-saturated columns, were conducted for up to three years. In these experiments, an oxygen-saturated solution was continually pumped into the column inlet, and investigated: a) differences in oxidation rates between tailings of two different grain sizes, b) factors affecting element discharge rates, acid neutralization, and sulfide oxidation, c) the effect of ions released in a soil cover on release rates in the tailings.</p><p>Sulfide oxidation processes within the batch experiments were limited by surface kinetics. The microbial oxidation of pure pyrite at atmospheric conditions produced the most rapid rate, while the microbial oxidation of pure pyrite at anoxic conditions was slower by 1.8 orders of magnitude. Microbial and abiotic oxidation of pyrite in freshly-processed tailings resulted in pyrite oxidation rates that were intermediate between these two extremes. The results from the microbial experiments with pure pyrite indicated a positive correlation between the concentration of dissolved oxygen, ferric iron and bacterial cells (at a total cell concentration > 10⁶ cells/mL and a dissolved oxygen concentration ≥ 13.2 µM), which implies an interdependence of these factors. The results from these batch experiments support the indirect mechanism for microbial oxidation by the ferric oxidation pathway. Pyrite oxidation rates estimated from the batch experiments may be comparable with oxidation rates in the unsaturated zone and at the groundwater table in a tailings impoundment.</p><p>Acid neutralization reactions in the column experiments resulted in the release of base cations to the column leachate. Calcite was the most important neutralizing mineral despite that it was only present in minor amounts in the tailings. It was confirmed that acidity forced the calcite dissolution. Element release rates in the column experiments were controlled by the availability of dissolved oxygen, which was a function of the water flow rate into the column. These column experiments also showed that the results are comparable with results from field studies, justifying the use of column experiments to study processes within tailings impoundments.</p>

<p>High-latitude watersheds have been regarded as a carbon sink with soil carbon accumulating at low temperature. This sink is now believed to turn into a source, acting as positive feedback to climate warming. However, thawing permafrost soils would allow more water to percolate down to deeper soil layers where some of the carbon could be “consumed” in weathering and exported as bicarbonate to the sea. Using a hydrological mixing model showed that this could counterbalance the predicted positive feedback resulting from thawing soils.</p><p>Vegetation-covered riparian zones in headwater areas appear to have a significant role for the dissolved constituent fluxes. Higher concentrations of weathering products are found in taiga and tundra rivers with larger areas of forest and peat cover in the watershed. These landscape elements can thus be regarded as “hot spots” of river loading with dissolved constituents.</p><p>Comparing a regulated and an unregulated river tested the hypothesis that damming leads to a depletion of major elements also in oligotrophic river systems as a consequence of changes in landscape elements. A loss of upper soils and vegetation through inundation prevents the contact of surface waters with vegetated soil, and consequently reduces weathering fluxes. The hypothesis that the lower fluxes of dissolved silica (DSi) in the regulated river could also be explained by biological uptake was then tested using a model, and budget calculations indicate a significant reduction as a result of regulation. About 10% of this reduction can be attributed to the flooding of the fluvial corridor and the rest to diatom blooms in the reservoirs. A more detailed study of landscape elements for the headwaters of the river Luleälven showed that only 3% of the surface area has been inundated by reservoirs but ca. 37% of the deciduous forest. Such a significant loss of hot spots may indeed explain the observed lower DSi fluxes in the regulated watersheds of northern Sweden.</p>

<p>The municipality of Västervik, with support from Envipro Miljöteknik AB, is carrying out a main study of the minefields at Gladhammar. Mining of iron, copper and cobalt under different periods from the 16th century until the end of the 19th century has led to discharges of metals to the lakes situated downstream. The aim of the main study is to investigate the possibilities to reduce the environmental load on the surrounding ground and water caused by heavy metals from the mine. </p><p>The present report is a part of the main study. The aim of the work is to investigate the geochemistry of the groundwater. As a starting point, questions concerning affected areas, occurring metals and possible processes for propagation and limitation of the pollutants, have been posed. </p><p>The work is based on data from a pre-study and of the main study. In total, there are 25 groundwater pipes in the area. A subset of these pipes has been chosen in order to delimit the task at hand. The number of analysed measurements for each groundwater pipe range from five to 15. The data material has been compiled and subsequently evaluated with respect to natural background, variation in time, correlation with precipitation, depth and other measured parameters. Geochemical modelling using the computer code PHREEQC has also been conducted. </p><p>The waste of the minefields at Gladhammar is constituted of waste rock, slag and tailings. Arsenic, cobalt, copper, lead and zinc are the prevailing metals in the area. Iron, manganese and sulphur control the behaviour of heavy metals in water to a great extent and they have, as well as the prevailing metals, therefore been in focus for the study. </p><p>The data compilation shows that pipes in the proximity of slag and waste rock have the highest content of cobalt and copper. </p><p>The groundwater is affected, with respect to guideline-values, by, above all, cobalt and copper, but also to a certain extent by lead. The content of arsenic and zinc is classified as low to moderate. The groundwater is most affected in the areas of Holländarefältet and Torsfall. </p><p>The data analysis shows that out flush of secondarily retained metals is a likely pollutant process. Primarily, this is valid for cobalt and copper. The pollution propagation is likely limited by precipitation of secondarily minerals as well as adsorption to iron, manganese and aluminium particles. </p><p>The groundwater in the pipes close to waste rock and slag most certainly consists of surface water that runs off from the heaps on top of the hill. This is demonstrated by the high metal content of the surface run off. According to calculations on mixing, the groundwater at the shore is made up by a mixture of lake water and mine entrance water.</p>

Tailings are a fine-grained waste product produced during the metal recovery process. Tailings consist mostly of different silicates but also sulfides (e.g. pyrite), since 100 % metal recovery is not possible. Freshly processed tailings are deposited in large impoundments. If the mine tailings in the impoundments are exposed to water and oxygen, the sulfides will oxidize and release acidity and metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb. The sulfide mineral oxidation reactions are catalyzed by sulfur and iron oxidizing bacteria (principally Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) that oxidize ferrous iron to ferric iron, which then oxidizes pyrite. When the leachate produced by this process discharges from the impoundment, it is called acid mine drainage, which may lead to the pollution of adjacent streams and lakes. The intention with this thesis is to investigate and quantify mineral weathering processes and element release rates occurring in water-saturated and soil-covered sulfidic mine tailings. The study was performed in different batch and column experiments in room temperature and in the laboratory. The batch experiments were conducted for ca. three months and investigated: a) microbial and abiotic sulfide oxidation in freshly processed tailings under oxic conditions at pH 2-3 and pH 8, b) microbial oxidation of pure pyrite grains at pH 2-3 under different oxygen concentrations ranging from anoxic to oxic conditions. The column experiments, consisting of unoxidized tailings in water-saturated columns, were conducted for up to three years. In these experiments, an oxygen-saturated solution was continually pumped into the column inlet, and investigated: a) differences in oxidation rates between tailings of two different grain sizes, b) factors affecting element discharge rates, acid neutralization, and sulfide oxidation, c) the effect of ions released in a soil cover on release rates in the tailings. Sulfide oxidation processes within the batch experiments were limited by surface kinetics. The microbial oxidation of pure pyrite at atmospheric conditions produced the most rapid rate, while the microbial oxidation of pure pyrite at anoxic conditions was slower by 1.8 orders of magnitude. Microbial and abiotic oxidation of pyrite in freshly-processed tailings resulted in pyrite oxidation rates that were intermediate between these two extremes. The results from the microbial experiments with pure pyrite indicated a positive correlation between the concentration of dissolved oxygen, ferric iron and bacterial cells (at a total cell concentration &gt; 106 cells/mL and a dissolved oxygen concentration ≥ 13.2 µM), which implies an interdependence of these factors. The results from these batch experiments support the indirect mechanism for microbial oxidation by the ferric oxidation pathway. Pyrite oxidation rates estimated from the batch experiments may be comparable with oxidation rates in the unsaturated zone and at the groundwater table in a tailings impoundment. Acid neutralization reactions in the column experiments resulted in the release of base cations to the column leachate. Calcite was the most important neutralizing mineral despite that it was only present in minor amounts in the tailings. It was confirmed that acidity forced the calcite dissolution. Element release rates in the column experiments were controlled by the availability of dissolved oxygen, which was a function of the water flow rate into the column. These column experiments also showed that the results are comparable with results from field studies, justifying the use of column experiments to study processes within tailings impoundments.

High-latitude watersheds have been regarded as a carbon sink with soil carbon accumulating at low temperature. This sink is now believed to turn into a source, acting as positive feedback to climate warming. However, thawing permafrost soils would allow more water to percolate down to deeper soil layers where some of the carbon could be “consumed” in weathering and exported as bicarbonate to the sea. Using a hydrological mixing model showed that this could counterbalance the predicted positive feedback resulting from thawing soils. Vegetation-covered riparian zones in headwater areas appear to have a significant role for the dissolved constituent fluxes. Higher concentrations of weathering products are found in taiga and tundra rivers with larger areas of forest and peat cover in the watershed. These landscape elements can thus be regarded as “hot spots” of river loading with dissolved constituents. Comparing a regulated and an unregulated river tested the hypothesis that damming leads to a depletion of major elements also in oligotrophic river systems as a consequence of changes in landscape elements. A loss of upper soils and vegetation through inundation prevents the contact of surface waters with vegetated soil, and consequently reduces weathering fluxes. The hypothesis that the lower fluxes of dissolved silica (DSi) in the regulated river could also be explained by biological uptake was then tested using a model, and budget calculations indicate a significant reduction as a result of regulation. About 10% of this reduction can be attributed to the flooding of the fluvial corridor and the rest to diatom blooms in the reservoirs. A more detailed study of landscape elements for the headwaters of the river Luleälven showed that only 3% of the surface area has been inundated by reservoirs but ca. 37% of the deciduous forest. Such a significant loss of hot spots may indeed explain the observed lower DSi fluxes in the regulated watersheds of northern Sweden.