TY - JOUR
T1 - Laboratory study of interactions between copper and microorganisms in oxic groundwater
AU - Huttunen-Saarivirta, Elina
AU - Rajala, Pauliina
AU - Bomberg, Malin
AU - Carpén, Leena
N1 - Funding Information:
Posiva Oy is acknowledged for providing OFP-copper and groundwater for the experiments. Dr Irina Tsitko is thanked for the epifluorescence microscopy work. Gratitude is also expressed to Mirva Pyrhönen for skilful microbiological work and to Taru Lehtikuusi, Marketta Mattila, Tiina Ikäläinen and Tuomo Kinnunen for the help with the corrosion tests. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy (in Finland) is thanked for funding provided through Public Nuclear Waste Management Program KYT2018. The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is also thanked for the financial support.
Funding Information:
The Ministry of Employment and the Economy (in Finland) is thanked for funding provided through Public Nuclear Waste Management Program KYT2018.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 ICE Publishing: All rights reserved.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/4/15
Y1 - 2020/4/15
N2 - The interactions between copper, the canister material in the nuclear waste disposal concept in Finland and Sweden, and micro-organisms in groundwater in their expected near-field environment are the core interest of this paper. Copper specimens were incubated with ammonia-oxidising bacteria for different time periods and then subjected to electrochemical measurements and surface characterisation to provide data on biofilm formation and its effects on copper corrosion. The biofilms on the surface of copper specimens were heterogeneous, due to the morphology of corrosion products that developed during the biofilm growth phase, but they also contributed to the nature and amount of corrosion product layers on the copper surfaces. Nitrogen was systematically detected in the biofilm specimens, due to the presence of ammonia-oxidising bacteria. The electrochemical response of the specimens was so heavily linked with the detected corrosion products, often rich in chlorine from the groundwater, that the influence of ammonia-oxidising bacteria was masked. The results demonstrate that the role that biofilm formation plays in the corrosion of copper in groundwater environment is very difficult to predict even under controlled laboratory conditions.
AB - The interactions between copper, the canister material in the nuclear waste disposal concept in Finland and Sweden, and micro-organisms in groundwater in their expected near-field environment are the core interest of this paper. Copper specimens were incubated with ammonia-oxidising bacteria for different time periods and then subjected to electrochemical measurements and surface characterisation to provide data on biofilm formation and its effects on copper corrosion. The biofilms on the surface of copper specimens were heterogeneous, due to the morphology of corrosion products that developed during the biofilm growth phase, but they also contributed to the nature and amount of corrosion product layers on the copper surfaces. Nitrogen was systematically detected in the biofilm specimens, due to the presence of ammonia-oxidising bacteria. The electrochemical response of the specimens was so heavily linked with the detected corrosion products, often rich in chlorine from the groundwater, that the influence of ammonia-oxidising bacteria was masked. The results demonstrate that the role that biofilm formation plays in the corrosion of copper in groundwater environment is very difficult to predict even under controlled laboratory conditions.
KW - Groundwater
KW - Radioactive waste disposal
KW - Strength
KW - Testing of materials
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083657929&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1680/jenge.17.00077
DO - 10.1680/jenge.17.00077
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85083657929
SN - 2051-803X
VL - 7
SP - 110
EP - 120
JO - Environmental Geotechnics
JF - Environmental Geotechnics
IS - 2
ER -