Incorporation of metals into calcite in a deep anoxic granite aquifer

Drake, Henrik; Mathurin, Frédéric A.; Zack, Thomas; Schäfer, Thorsten; Roberts, Nick M.W.; Whitehouse, Martin; Karlsson, Andreas; Broman, Curt; Åström, Mats E.. 2018 Incorporation of metals into calcite in a deep anoxic granite aquifer. Environmental Science & Technology, 52 (2). 493-502. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05258

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05258

Abstract/Summary

Understanding metal scavenging by calcite in deep aquifers in granite is of importance for deciphering and modeling hydrochemical fluctuations and water–rock interaction in the upper crust and for retention mechanisms associated with underground repositories for toxic wastes. Metal scavenging into calcite has generally been established in the laboratory or in natural environments that cannot be unreservedly applied to conditions in deep crystalline rocks, an environment of broad interest for nuclear waste repositories. Here, we report a microanalytical study of calcite precipitated over a period of 17 years from anoxic, low-temperature (14 °C), neutral (pH: 7.4–7.7), and brackish (Cl: 1700–7100 mg/L) groundwater flowing in fractures at >400 m depth in granite rock. This enabled assessment of the trace metal uptake by calcite under these deep-seated conditions. Aquatic speciation modeling was carried out to assess influence of metal complexation on the partitioning into calcite. The resulting environment-specific partition coefficients were for several divalent ions in line with values obtained in controlled laboratory experiments, whereas for several other ions they differed substantially. High absolute uptake of rare earth elements and U(IV) suggests that coprecipitation into calcite can be an important sink for these metals and analogousactinides in the vicinity of geological repositories.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05258
ISSN:	0013-936X
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences
Date made live:	28 Feb 2018 11:47 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/519384

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05258

ISSN:

0013-936X

NORA Subject Terms:

Earth Sciences

Date made live:

28 Feb 2018 11:47 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/519384