The influence of particle morphology on microbially induced CaCO3 clogging in granular media

Abstract

Sporosarcina pasteurii (ATCC 11859) is a nitrogen-circulating bacterium capable of precipitating calcium carbonate given a calcium source and urea. This microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is able to infill inter-granular porosity and act as a biological clogging agent, thus having a wide potential application in strengthening coastal foundations, preventing erosion by seas and rivers and in reducing sand liquefaction potential in coastal areas. A successful MICP application requires the understanding of the primary parameters that influence the microbially mediated process to achieve its engineering goals, such as injection scheme, chemical concentrations, retention times, and injection rates. However, the granular morphology has generally been oversimplified to ideal shape without enough consideration in previous studies. The following explores the critical micro-scale influence of particle morphology on mechanisms of microbially induced clogging. Spherical, non-spherical and angular particles were used as granular aggregates in permeating column experiments with the resulting permeability and calcium carbonate content of the treated aggregates examined. Microscopic examination (SEM) defines the features of the distribution of microbially precipitated calcium carbonate and the forms of clogging. The results show: (1) given a fixed duration of treatment, the calcium carbonate content for the spherical particle aggregate is significantly higher than that for near-spherical and angular particle aggregates; (2) for identical durations of treatment, the maximum permeability reduction occurs for angular particles (rather than for spherical particles with the highest carbonate content). This suggests that the microscopic distribution of calcium carbonate is significantly influenced by particle morphology, exerting a critical control in the effectiveness of clogging. SEM images indicate that the microbial calcium carbonate precipitates encapsulate the spherical particles as a near-uniform shell and occlude the pore space only by increasing the shell thickness. In contrast, the near-spherical and angular particles are only partially coated by a calcium carbonate film with scattered crystals of vaterite and calcite further clogging the void space. The polyhedral nature of the non-spherical particles tends to result in a slot-shaped pore structure which critically defines the hydraulic conductivity of the ensemble medium. As the microbial vaterite and calcite continue to accumulate on the particle surface, these slot-shaped pore structures become increasingly more tortuous – resulting in a noticeable reduction of permeability at a lower calcium carbonate content.     

Hydrologic and geologic control of carbonate water chemistry in the subarctic nahanni karst,canada

There are six classes of water and five geologic environments in the subarctic Nahanni karst. During the summers of 1972 and 1973, 214 water samples were collected from 15 of the 30 hydrogeologic categories. Linear discriminant function analysis, using five measured and two derived chemical variables, indicates that there are statistically significant (0.005 level) differences in water chemistry between similar waters in different geologic environments, between waters in the same geologic environment, and between waters in different hydrogeological categories. Geological environment labels a natural water because it determines the availability of soil CO₂ and of soluble minerals. Measurements indicate that mean soil log PCO₂ is greatest in areas of shale mantled by till (?2.39), and least in areas of sandy fluvioglacial drift (?3.27). Low values on the sandy drift are due to the sparse shrub vegetation, and to the high degree of soil aeration; soils in areas of shale are clay-rich and support a dense boreal forest. Hydrology influences water chemistry because it determines how much CO₂ natural waters pick up from the environment and how much they subsequently lose to the atmosphere, and as a result, whether they dissolve or deposit soluble materials. The similarity between mean calculated log PCO₂ in natural waters (?2.92) and mean measured soil log PCO₂ (?2.80) suggests that natural waters in Nahanni are dose to equilibrium with mean soil CO₂ levels.     

The type three ordinary chondrities: A review

The ordinary chondrites are the largest group of meteorites, and the type 3 ordinary chondrites are those which experienced only very mild parent metamorphism; their study provides a unique means of studying the first solid material to from in the early solar system which is either free from the effects of mild metamorphism, or in which the effects of mild metamorphism can be distinguished from primary, nebular effects. In this paper we list all known type 3 ordinary chondrites and references to their study, their compositional data and data relating to the metamorphic history. We review current theories on their formation and the effects of metamorphism, with emphasis on quantitative considerations. Studies on the thermoluminescence properties of these meteorites, which have provided many new insights into their metamorphic history, are reviewed. Some of the least metamorphosed meteorites show evidence for aqueous alteration, which provides a link between the type 3 ordinary chondrites and objects containing water in various forms the carbonaceous chondrites, comets and planets with wet mantles.