Abstract
At the MontTerri rock laboratory (Switzerland), an in situ experiment is being carried out to examine the fate of nitrate leaching from nitrate-containing bituminized radioactive waste, in a clay host rock for geological disposal. Such a release of nitrate may cause a geochemical perturbation of the clay, possibly affecting some of the favorable characteristics of the host rock. In this in situ experiment, combined transport and reactivity of nitrate is studied inside anoxic and water-saturated chambers in a borehole in the Opalinus Clay.Continuous circulation of the solution from the borehole to the surface equipment allows a regular sampling and online monitoring of its chemical composition. In this paper, in situ microbial nitrate reduction in the Opalinus Clay is discussed, in the presence or absence of additional electron donors relevant for the disposal concept and likely to be released from nitrate-containing bituminized radioactive waste: acetate (simulating bitumen degradation products) and H2 (originating from radiolysis and corrosion in the repository). The results of these tests indicate that—in case microorganisms would be active in the repository or the surrounding clay—microbial nitrate reduction can occur using electron donors naturally present in the clay (e.g. pyrite, dissolved organic matter). Nevertheless, non-reactive transport of nitrate in the clay is expected to be the main process. In contrast, when easily oxidizable electron donors would be available (e.g. acetate and H2), the microbial activity will be strongly stimulated. Both in the presence of H2 and acetate, nitrite and nitrogenous gases are predominantly produced, although some ammonium can also be formed when H2 is present. The reduction of nitrate in the clay could have an impact on the redox conditions in the pore-water and might also lead to a gas-related perturbation of the host rock, depending on the electron donor used during denitrification.
Editorial hadling: P. Bossart and A. G. Milnes.
This is paper #18 of the Mont Terri Special Issue of the Swiss Journal of Geosciences (see Bossart et al. 2017, Table 3 and Fig. 7).
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Acknowledgements
This work is undertaken in close co-operation with Swisstopo, the operator of the rock laboratory and the project management team at Mont Terri, namely Christophe Nussbaum and Thierry Theurillat. Financial support was provided by the Mont Terri Consortium. Joe Small acknowledges funding by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) BIGRAD consortium through Grant No. NE/H007768/1 and the National Nuclear Laboratory. Gesine Lorenz (Hydroisotop GmbH) and Elke Jacops (SCK•CEN) are acknowledged for performing the gas analyses. In addition, the technical assistance of Wim Verwimp and Patrick Boven (SCK•CEN) is greatly appreciated. Finally, we thank Dr. Marc Parmentier (French Geological Survey BRGM, Orléans, France) and Dr. Alexandre Bagnoud (Stream Biofilm and Ecosystem Research Laboratory at EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland) for their constructive comments and suggestions.
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Bleyen, N. et al. (2018). Impact of the electron donor on in situ microbial nitrate reduction in Opalinus Clay: results from the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland). In: Bossart, P., Milnes, A. (eds) Mont Terri Rock Laboratory, 20 Years. Swiss Journal of Geosciences Supplement, vol 5. Birkhäuser, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70458-6_19
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