Niche partitioning of microbial communities at an ancient vitrified hillfort: implications for vitrified radioactive waste disposal.

ABSTRACT: Because microbes cannot be eliminated from radioactive waste disposal facilities, the consequences of bio-colonization must be understood. At a pre-Viking era vitrified hillfort, Broborg, Sweden, anthropogenic glass has been subjected to bio-colonization for over 1,500 years. Broborg is used as a habitat analogue for disposed radioactive waste glass to inform how microbial processes might influence long-term glass durability. Electron microscopy and DNA sequencing of surficial material from the Broborg vitrified wall, adjacent soil, and general topsoil show that the ancient glass supports a niche microbial community of bacteria, fungi, and protists potentially involved in glass alteration. Communities associated with the vitrified wall are distinct and less diverse than soil communities. T

SUBMITTER: Plymale AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11894924 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature