RATES OF BACTERIA-PROMOTED SOLUBILIZATION OF FE FROM MINERALS: A REVIEW OF PROBLEMS AND APPROACHES

Abstract

Understanding the effects of bacteria on mineral weathering will require careful, controlled experiments in chemical reactors. Unfortunately, many of the details of protocol for such experiments have not yet been addressed. In particular, experimenters need to find ways to normalize experiments for the mass of bacteria involved in reaction and need to measure the rate of change of this mass. Furthermore, experimenters will need to define whether mineral dissolution occurs during the log or stationary phase of growth. Bacteria cell mass should be quantified both before and after dissolution. In some cases, flow bioreactors will be useful to understand dissolution under steady state conditions. Finally, even the choice of medium will involve trade-offs between encouraging growth of bacteria while mimicking natural solutions.