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Theme 21

Geoengineering and Remediation

David Blowes, Waterloo,
Carol Ptacek, Waterloo,
Ken Caldeira, Carnegie-Stanford,

Co-hosted sessions

SESSIONS

21a. Innovative approaches for improving water quality in mining environments

(co-hosted by Themes 21 and 22)

Co-convenors:
Lena Alakangas (Luleå University of Technology, Sweden) - Lena.Alakangasltu.se
Matthew B.J. Lindsay (University of British Columbia) - mlindsayeos.ubc.ca

Management of water quality is a major challenge faced by the mining industry worldwide. Mine drainage can pose a serious threat to water quality, ecosystem function and human health. Finding long term sustainable solutions for the prevention and remediation of mine drainage is imperative. The importance of this issue becomes more critical as demand for resources grow and more complex deposits are mined. Understanding the intricate relationships between physical, chemical and biological processes within mine waste deposits is central to the development of effective strategies for water quality management. However, additional factors including ore processing and waste disposal methods are key factors in the geochemical evolution of mine drainage and are becoming more important in prevention strategies. This session will explore innovative approaches for the prediction, prevention and remediation of mine drainage.

Keynote speaker:
Bruno Bussière (Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue), Bruno.Bussiereuqat.ca

21b. Soil and sediment remediation

Co-convenors:
Feng He (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States) - hef2ornl.gov
Upal Ghosh (University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States) – ughoshumbc.edu
Catherine Mulligan (Concordia University, Canada) - mulligancivil.concordia.ca
Eric Pierce (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States) - pierceemornl.gov

This session will highlight recent research advancement on remediation of organic and metal contaminants in soil and sediment using physical/chemical and biological methods, and seek improved understanding of chemical, hydrological, and microbiological processes involved in the remediation processes. We invite a diverse group of researchers to present their latest findings from pollutant removal mechanisms to field implementation of novel remediation technologies. Topics include but are not limited to (1) clean up technologies (including monitored natural attenuation) for soils and sediment polluted with organic (PAHs, PCBs, NAPL, solvents) or inorganic (heavy metals, radionuclides) pollutants, (2) Techniques for advanced contaminant characterization and monitoring, assessment and optimization of remediation technologies, and improved risk assessment, 3) sustainable management of contaminated soil and sediment, and 4) Fundamental understanding of the transport and fate of contaminants (including colloid transport), mechanisms of biogeochemical transformation and cycling of contaminants in the environment and in remediation processes. We hope the session will serve as a forum for discussion of advances across multiple scientific fields in soil and sediment remediation research.

Keynote speaker:
Charles A. Menzie (Exponent Consulting, Alexandria, VA), camenzieexponent.com

21c. Smart materials for subsurface applications

(co-hosted by Themes 21 and 22)

Co-convenors:
Amr Abdel-Fattah (Los Alamos National Laboratory) - amr2450lanl.gov
Rex Hjelm (Los Alamos National Laboratory) - hjelmlanl.gov
David DiCarlo (The University of Texas at Austin) - dicarlomail.utexas.edu

High-yield harvesting of natural subsurface resources (e.g., oil, gas, geothermal energy, mineral deposits, rare earth elements) and extraction of subsurface contaminants is an overarching goal for numerous energy security and environmental applications. It can be achieved by manipulation and redirection of subsurface flow towards regions where the targets exist or through harvesting agents that can reach these regions and carry the targets back to the surface. Recent advances in material, nano/colloid, and surface sciences as well as discoveries in the drug delivery, biomedicine, cosmetics and cleaning applications have made available a new generation of “smart” functional materials and techniques that can lend themselves to advance and revolutionize many subsurface applications. Examples of such benefited applications include: 1) subsurface remediation and extraction of groundwater contaminants, 2) isolation of hazardous wastes and geologically sequestered CO₂, 3) enhanced oil and gas recovery, 4) geothermal energy production, and 5) leach mining of mineral deposits and rare-earth elements. In this context, smart materials are generally defined as materials that can undergo an abrupt change in their physical or chemical nature or perform a certain function upon sensing a natural or induced trigger. The implementation and effectiveness of such materials in the extreme subsurface conditions rely on a great deal of materials design and synthesis, geosciences, and geoengineering. In this session, we solicit talks addressing the science and engineering aspects of smart materials suitable for subsurface harvesting and flow manipulation, their delivery and triggering mechanisms in the subsurface, and their predicted performance under typical subsurface conditions.

Keynote speaker:
Dr. Steven L. Bryant ( The University of Texas at Austin) , Steven_Bryantmail.utexas.edu

21d. Controlling mine drainage and metal(loid) leaching from mine wastes

Co-convenors:
Dogan Paktunc (CANMET, Canada) - Dogan.PaktuncNRCan-RNCan.gc.ca
Juraj Majzlan (University of Jena, Germany) juraj.majzlanuni-jena.de

Controlling mine drainage and metal(loid) leaching from mine wastes is probably the most important environmental issue facing the mining industry. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the prediction and prevention of acid mine drainage but gaps remain in our understanding of the fundamentals of the processes leading to metal(loid) leaching and the stability of the source minerals and secondary compounds in mine wastes. From a practical point of view, it would be highly desirable to make the mine wastes geochemically stable requiring minimum post-closure management. With this ultimate objective in mind, the session aims to cover progress on the mineralogical and biogeochemical aspects of the generation of mine drainage and associated metal(loid) leaching under different disposal conditions to predict the onset of mine drainage, transport of contaminants and their fate in the engineered systems.

Keynote speaker:
Charlie Alpers (USGS-Sacramento), cnalpersusgs.gov

21e. Recent advances in applied microbial biomineralization

(co-hosted by Themes 21 and 16)

Co-convenors:
Dominique J. Tobler (University of Glasgow) - dominique.toblerges.gla.ac.uk
Vernon R. Phoenix (University of Glasgow) - Vernon.Phoenixges.gla.ac.uk
Christopher R. Omelon (University of Texas at Austin) - omelonmail.utexas.edu

The efficiency by which microorganisms trigger mineral formation has inspired a variety of technological and environmental applications. Nevertheless, despite extensive research efforts in recent years, our current understanding on how microorganisms catalyze or control mineralization is far from complete. In this session we encourage discussion on fundamental and applied microbial biomineralization aspects. Contributions of interest include (but are not limited to) microbe-mineral interactions, mechanisms of crystal formation, cellular and genetic control of mineralization as well as novel methods for monitoring these processes. We also foster discourse on the potential and challenges of biomineralization processes for technological and environmental applications. This can include laboratory-based and field-scale research that focuses on identity and function of subsurface microbial communities relevant to applied technologies, manipulation and transport of microorgansisms introduced to subsurface environments, implementation matters such as upscaling and heterogeneity issues, remediation of harmful by-products, stability and longevity of biominerals.

Keynote speaker:
Leon van Paassen (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands), l.a.vanpaassentudelft.nl

21f. Mixing and reaction fronts in porous media

Co-convenors:
George Redden (Idaho National Laboratory) - George.Reddeninl.gov
Rick Colwell (Oregon State University) – rcolwellcoas.oregonstate.edu
Massimo Rolle (Stanford University) – mrollestanford.edu

Reactants in porous subsurface environments are not always well mixed and chemical or biogeochemical reactions can be distributed across mixing reaction fronts. Reactant mixing zones are governed by diffusive and advective transport but ultimately chemical processes occur only by molecular scale mixing, which is often not well represented by large scale volume averaged concentrations. Mixing zones can be generated at small pore scales, where reactants are consumed or produced at mineral surfaces, or at larger scales at the edge of, or within, reactant plumes. Thermodynamic gradients in mixing zones can generate a distribution of reaction products, local and volume-averaged reaction rates, precipitate morphologies, and changes in physical or chemical properties of the media. This is particularly true for engineered systems, where reactants are introduced by injection (or by accident), are formed in situ, and where conditions are far from equilibrium.

This session will explore experimental and modeling research that illustrates, and simulates the significance of reactant mixing processes in porous or fractured media. This includes solution phase reactions and systems where chemical processes are coupled to changes in media transport properties when precipitation-dissolution reactions occur.

Keynote speaker: TBA

21g. Process-based reactive transport modelling of aquifer remediation and natural attenuation

Co-convenors:
K. UlrichMayer (University of British Columbia) - umayereos.ubc.ca
Henning Prommer (CSIRO, Australia) - Henning.Prommercsiro.au

Natural attenuation of contaminants and groundwater remediation are associated with complex and interacting (bio)geochemical processes. Mechanistic reactive transport modeling provides a powerful tool for the quantitative interpretation of field and laboratory observations, conceptual model building, and to analyze the interplay between transport processes and (bio)geochemical reactions at contaminated sites. We invite contributions from both modelers and observational geoscientists who approach the conceptual and quantitative interpretation of aquifer remediation and natural attenuation from a reactive transport modeling perspective. The emphasis of this session is on innovations in data interpretation through the application of reactive transport models and on new model developments. Contributions may target treatment or natural attenuation of organic contaminants, metals, or radionuclides – present in the saturated zone of aquifers, the vadose zone, the capillary fringe, or the hyporheic zone.

21h. Role of iron oxyhydroxides in metal(loid) retention, mobility, and bioavailability in the environment

(co-hosted by Themes 21 and 23)

Co-convenors:
M. Jim Hendry (University of Saskatchewan) - jim.hendryusask.ca
Jeff Warner (Canadian Light Source Inc., Saskatoon) - Jeff.Warnerlightsource.ca

Iron oxyhydroxides are recognized as long-term sinks that can limit the mobility and toxicity of soluble metal(loid)s (e.g., As, Mo, and Se) from natural and anthropogenic sources. This is attributed to their large surface area, which enables them to control soluble metal(loids) through ion exchange reactions, specific adsorption to surface hydroxyl groups, and co-precipitation. They have thus been applied geochemically as solubility controls for metal(loid)s in mine tailings and at remediation sites. However, concerns have been raised about the long-term stability of the metal(loid) adsorbed iron oxyhydroxides due to their ability to undergo physicochemical transformations with time. Thus, metal(loid) adsorbed iron oxyhydroxides are the subject of active research. This session will address current research progress on metal(loid) adsorbed iron oxyhydroxides and their long-term stability. Topics to be covered include: mineralogical characterization of metal(loid) adsorbed iron oxyhydroxides in environmental systems such as mine tailings and soils; synthesis and characterization of metal(loid) adsorbed iron oxyhydroxides using various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques; surface complexation modelling of metal(loid)s on iron oxyhydroxides; kinetics of adsorption and desorption of metal(loid)s on iron oxyhydroxides; and effects of environmental parameters such as pH, Eh, temperature, and microbes on the long-term stability of iron oxyhydroxides.

Keynote speaker:
Scott Fendorf (Stanford University), fendorfstanford.edu

21i. Groundwater remediation

Co-convenors:
Richard Wilkin (U.S. EPA) - Wilkin.Rickepamail.epa.gov
Richard Amos (University of Waterloo) - ramossciborg.uwaterloo.ca

CANCELLED

Co-hosted sessions:

Please note that for abstract submission purposes, the following sessions and their respective descriptions appear in their primary Theme assignments (numbers in red or before the title).

19b.- Linking experimental and field observations of mineral carbonatation for in-situ long-term carbon storage

Co-convenors: Natalie Johnson/Stanford and Pablo Garcia Del Real/Stanford
(co-hosted by Themes 19 and 21)

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