We are pleased to kindly invite you to contribute to the session “Biogeochemical processes at the microbe/clay interface and their synergy with radionuclide/organic interactions” at the XVI International Clay Conference (ICC), ICC 2017. The conference will be held from July 17 to 21, 2017 in Granada, Spain. We would like to remind you that the deadline for abstract submission is February 15, 2017.
/Andrea Cherkouk (Helmholz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Germany) and Maria Romero Gonzalez (University of Sheffield, UK)
This session is summarized as follow:
Bentonites are being considered as artificial barriers within the concept of deep geological disposal of intermediate and high level radioactive waste disposal in several countries across the world. Under repository-relevant conditions, microbial cells may interact efficiently with radionuclides, with anthropogenic and natural organic materials along with H2 generated by corrosion and radiolysis. Thus, microbial activity may control radionuclide migration from the repository, waste form evolution in situ and structural stability of bentonites. The main objective of this session is to present advances in the field of biogeochemical processes occurring at the interface microbe/radionuclide/organic/clay using a multidisciplinary approach combining spectroscopy, microscopy, microbiology, mineralogy, radiochemistry, geochemistry, organic chemistry, and modeling techniques (e.g. metagenomics, metaproteomics, EXAFS, TRLFS, STEM/HAADF, SEM, etc.). In addition, this session will help in the identification of key knowledge gaps that are limiting further advancement in understanding of how microbial processes will affect the safety and performance of future repositories.
We welcome contributions relating to field, laboratory and computational studies that provide new analytical and conceptual approaches for studying:
1) microbial diversity and activity in clays
2) redox processes of radionuclides in systems containing microbes, organics and clays
3) effect of biotic and abiotic parameters on the structural stability of clays
4) effect of biogenic and organic ligands in the mobility of radionuclides through clays, and other research related in this area.
Main convener: Mohamed Larbi Merroun, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada, Spain; Co-conveners: Andrea Cherkouk, Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Germany; Maria E. Romero Gonzalez, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.