Microbially-Induced Carbonate Precipitation in Low pH Cement; Potential for Self-Healing in Radioactive Waste Geodisposal Systems.

ABSTRACT: In a geological disposal facility for radioactive waste, groundwater interacts with engineered cement barriers used for waste encapsulation, as a backfill material, and for construction purposes. This study investigates microbial interactions with low-pH cement (pH 10.5 and 11) in synthetic groundwater under anoxic conditions. Microcosm experiments used alkaliphilic microbes obtained from a high-pH lime kiln site. These were incubated with low-pH cement tablets in synthetic Oxford clay porewater with varying levels of electron donors (lactate or hydrogen) or electron acceptors (nitrate). In higher-carbon systems supplemented with lactate, reduction of nitrate was noted over six months, decreasing pH (10.0 to 8.8), presumably due to carbonic acid production. Calcium concentrations also drop

SUBMITTER: Singh A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12676360 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature