Bacterial biofilms facilitate the weathering of soil minerals.  Biotite, a 2:1 aluminosilicate mica, is a common primary mineral containing essential nutrients that can be weathered to bioavailable forms.  This study determines whether limitation of a specific nutrient induces a weathering mechanism specific to that nutrient, or if the biofilm invokes a more general weathering mode.  Biofilms are grown on biotite coupons in a drip-flow reactor under four different nutrient treatments: one complete nutrient supply and three treatments having a single limiting nutrient.  Weathering is quantified by analysis of effluents from the reactor for pH, cation, and ligand concentrations.  Morphological changes in the biotite are examined by electron microscopy and analysis.

Biofilm mediated chemical weathering of biotite

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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