Survivability and proliferation of microorganisms in bentonite with implication to radioactive waste geological disposal: strong effect of temperature and negligible effect of pressure.

ABSTRACT: As bentonite hosts a diverse spectrum of indigenous microorganisms with the potential to influence the long-term stability of deep geological repositories, it is essential to understand the factors influencing microbial activity under repository conditions. Here, we focus on two factors, i.e., temperature and swelling pressure, using a suspension of Cerny Vrch bentonite to boost microbial activity and evaluate microbial response. Suspensions were exposed either to different pressures (10, 12 and 15 MPa; to simulate the effect of swelling pressure) or elevated temperatures (60, 70, 80 and 90 °C; to simulate the effect of cannister heating) for four weeks. Each treatment was followed by a period of anaerobic incubation at atmospheric pressure/laboratory temperature to assess microbial recove

SUBMITTER: Bartak D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10710388 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature