The role of biofilms in subsurface transport processes

Abstract

Landfill and radioactive waste disposal risk assessments focus on contaminant transport and are principally concerned with understanding the movement of gas, water and solutes through engineered barriers and natural groundwater systems. However, microbiological activity can impact on transport processes changing the chemical and physical characteristics of the subsurface environment. Such effects are generally caused by biofilms attached to rock surfaces. This paper will present the results of an experimental study of the significance of biofilm growth on groundwater flow and the transport of contaminants in intergranular and fracture porosity flow systems.Risk assessments for landfills and geological repositories for radioactive waste are primarily based on the precepts of contaminant transport; and are concerned with understanding the movement of gas, water and solutes through engineered barriers and natural groundwater systems, within the concept of 'Source', 'Pathway' and 'Receptor'. The emphasis on solute migration for landfill investigations is reflected in the theoretical development used during numerical simulation. However, microbes living in such environments can have an impact on transport processes (Chapelle 2000;Cunningham et al. 1997; Fredrickson et al. 1989; Keith-Loach & Livens 2002;West & Chilton 1997;West et al. 2006). Microbial activity in any environment is generally located on chemical or physical interfaces, usually within biofilms, and the impacts can be both physical (e.g. altering porosity) and/or chemical (e.g. changing pH, redox conditions) and may result in intracellular or extracellular mineral formation or degradation (Beveridge et al. 1997;Ehrlich 1999;Konhauser et al. 1998;Milodowski et al. 1990;Tuck et al. 2006). Where biofilm growth in a crystalline host rock promotes mineral precipitation it can reduce water inflow and this can be a positive effect for limiting the transport of contaminants. Recent experimental work has investigated some of these chemical and physical effects in more detail in the context of the geological containment of radioactive waste. This paper will examine some of these studies and will indicate the significance of biofilms in influencing both granular and fracture flow. 2 BiofilmsA biofilm is an agglomeration of microbial cells and their excreted organic and inorganic products that is attached to, or coats, mineral surfaces or other substrates (Taylor & Jaffe 1990a). Biofilms are very common in the geosphere and biosphere, forming in diverse environments including the surfaces of human teeth (Marsh 2004), wall murals and stone monuments (Dornieden et al. 2000), stream sediments (Konhauser et al. 1998), cave and mine walls (Plate 1) and the subsurface (Tuck 2006). In such natural systems, they often comprise a mixture of interacting microbial species forming complex ecosystems. Biofilm thickness is extremely variable ranging from a single cell monolayer, to thick mucous microcolonies of microbes held together by Extracellular Polymeric Substances...

Microbiological influences on fracture surfaces of intact mudstone and the implications for geological disposal of radioactive waste

“…The results of whole-rock XRD analyses are summarised in Table 3 and labelled XRD traces are given elsewhere (Harrison et al, 2010).…”

“…However, over an extended period of time, indigenous bacteria were expected to utilise the naturally occurring DOC as geochemical analysis showed the organic content of the rock to be quite high. A full description of all methodologies is given elsewhere (Harrison et al, 2010).…”

“…The detailed fluid chemistry analysis for the outlet fluids from the biotic and abiotic columns are given in detail elsewhere (Harrison et al, 2010). No …”

“…West and Chilton, 1997;D'Hondt et al, 2002;Lin et al, 2006) including potential geological repository host rocks (e.g. West et al, 1982;West 1995;Pedersen 1999;West and McKinley 2002;Keith-Loach and Livens 2002;Humphreys et al, 2009); and their presence can have an impact on transport processes (Fredrickson et al, 1989;Cunningham et al, 1997;West and Chilton 1997;Chapelle 2000;Keith-Loach and Livens 2002;Coombs et al, 2010). Microbial activity in any environment is located on chemical or physical interfaces, usually within biofilms and their impact on transport can be physical (e.g.…”

Geological repositories: scientific priorities and potential high-technology transfer from the space and physics sectors

“…Microorganisms and their activity can also change the transport properties of the host rocks of interest e.g. formation of biofilms can effect porosity (Coombs et al, 2010). Despite the growing and impressive understanding of microbiology in the deep subsurface and microbial interactions with radionuclides, several key questions for biological science related to geological repositories can be identified: (1) What are the main processes by which the microbial communities associated with different lithologies can influence RWD and CCS?…”