Biomedical subjects

Joern T Larsen

Publications and source records attributed to Joern T Larsen.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Application of a high-density oligonucleotide microarray approach to study bacterial population dynamics during uranium reduction and reoxidation.

Reduction of soluble uranium U(VI) to less-soluble uranium U(IV) is a promising approach to minimize migration from contaminated aquifers. It is generally assumed that, under constant reducing conditions, U(IV) is stable and immobile; however, in a previous study, we documented reoxidation of U(IV) under continuous reducing conditions (Wan et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, 39:6162-6169). To determine if changes in microbial community composition were a factor in U(IV) reoxidation, we employed a high-density phylogenetic DNA microarray (16S microarray) containing 500,000 probes to monitor changes in bacterial populations during this remediation process. Comparison of the 16S microarray with clone libraries demonstrated successful detection and classification of most clone groups. Analysis of the most dynamic groups of 16S rRNA gene amplicons detected by the 16S microarray identified five clusters of bacterial subfamilies responding in a similar manner. This approach demonstrated that amplicons of known metal-reducing bacteria such as Geothrix fermentans (confirmed by quantitative PCR) and those within the Geobacteraceae were abundant during U(VI) reduction and did not decline during the U(IV) reoxidation phase. Significantly, it appears that the observed reoxidation of uranium under reducing conditions occurred despite elevated microbial activity and the consistent presence of metal-reducing bacteria. High-density phylogenetic microarrays constitute a powerful tool, enabling the detection and monitoring of a substantial portion of the microbial population in a routine, accurate, and reproducible manner.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2004

Colloid formation at waste plume fronts.

Highly saline and caustic tank waste solutions containing radionuclides and toxic metals have leaked into sediments at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities such as the Hanford Site (Washington state). Colloid transport is frequently invoked to explain migration of radionuclides and metals in the subsurface. To understand colloid formation during interactions between highly reactive fluids and sediments and its impact on contaminant transport, we simulated tank waste solution (TWS) leakage processes in laboratory columns at ambient and elevated (70 degrees C) temperatures. We found that maximum formation of mobile colloids occurred at the plume fronts (hundreds to thousands times higher than within the plume bodies or during later leaching). Concentrations of suspended solids were as high as 3 mass %, and their particle sizes ranged from tens of nanometers to a few micrometers. Calcium carbonate is always one of the dominant phases of the plume front colloids, while the other phases varied with solution pH and temperature. During infiltration of the leaked high-Na+ waste solution, rapid and completed Na+ replacement of exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ from the sediment caused accumulation of these divalent cations at the moving plume front. Precipitation of supersaturated Ca2+/Mg2+-bearing minerals caused dramatic pH reduction atthe plume front. In turn, the reduced pH caused precipitation of other minerals. This understanding can help predict the behavior of contaminant trace elements carried by the tank waste solutions and could not have been obtained through conventional batch studies.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2004

pH neutralization and zonation in alkaline-saline tank waste plumes.

At the Hanford Site in Washington State, the pH values of contaminant plumes resulting from leaking of initially highly alkaline-saline radioactive waste solutions into the subsurface are now found to be substantially neutralized. However, the nature of plume pH neutralization has not previously been understood. As a master geochemical variable, pH needs to be understood in order to predict the fate and transport of contaminants carried by the waste plumes. Through this laboratory study, we found that the plume pH values spanned a broad range from 14 (within the near-source region) down to the value of 7 (lower than the pH value of the initial soil solution) while the plume was still connected to an actively leaking source. We defined two zones within a plume: the silicate dissolution zone (SDZ, pH 14-10) and the neutralized zone (NZ, pH 10-7). Quartz dissolution at elevated temperature and precipitation of secondary silicates (including sodium metasilicate, cancrinite, and zeolites) are the key reactions responsible for the pH neutralization within the SDZ. The rapid and thorough cation exchange of Na+ replacing Ca2+/Mg2+, combined with transport, resulted in a dynamic Ca2+/Mg2+-enriched plume front. Subsequent precipitation of calcite, sodium silicate, and possibly talc led to dramatically reduced pH within the plume front and the neutralized zone. During aging (after the plume source became inactive), continued quartz dissolution and the secondary silicate precipitation drove the pH value lower, toward pH 11 at equilibrium within the SDZ, whereas the pH values in the NZ remained relatively unchanged with time. A pH profile of 11 from the plume source to pH 7 at the plume front is expected for a historical plume. This laboratory-based study provided realistic plume pH profiles (consistent with that measured from borehole samples) and identified underlying mechanisms responsible for pH evolution.

Environmental Monitoring↗