Autoradiographic comparisons of radionuclide adsorption between subsurface anaerobic biofilms and granitic host rocks

• In high level nuclear waste repositories, the host rock is considered to be an important barrier to radionuclide migration by adsorbing metals at fluid rock interfaces. In granitic rock environments the surfaces of hydraulically conductive fractures are covered with mixed community biofilms. Biofilms were grown in situ on glass and rock surfaces in high pressure flow cells using groundwater sourced from a borehole 450 meters below sea level in the Aspo hard rock laboratory, Sweden. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), epifluorescence microscopy and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) revealed monolayer biofilms consisting of up to 2 x 10(4) bacteria/mm(2) surrounded by an extensive extracellular matrix and carbonate precipitates that covered

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

performance assessment

promethium

granite repository

cobalt

Aspo hard rock laboratory

actinides

fracture associated biofilms

groundwater

Aspo hard rock laboratory; granite repository; groundwater; performance assessment; fracture associated biofilms; actinides; cobalt; promethium

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)