RENA

Visualization of porous media structures with growing biomass in a sand sample. Blue - matrix, black - pore space, yellow - biomass (sample: VTKA, Master thesis Samhammer (2023))

Picture: Ariunzaya Löwe

Biological radionuclide removal using natural association processes - RENA

BMBF Project grant 02NUK066B

Duration: 01.09.2021 – 31.12.2024

Project leader: Prof. Thorsten Schäfer de, Prof. Erika Kothe

Applied Geology:  Ariunzaya Löwe, Dr. Sarah Hupfer, Dr. Susanne Lehmann

Group Microbial Communication: Max Herold, Lea Traxler Link

Cooperation: Leibniz Universität Hannover, Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, VKTA Dresden Rossendorf, 

Description: 

The focus of the collaborative project RENA is to investigate the biological radionuclide removal of contaminated soils using natural association processes to develop a method for the ex-situ treatment of radionuclide-contaminated soils originating from the dismantling of nuclear facilities. The aim is to develop in the consortium a generalized reactive transport model which combines soil hydrodynamics and mineralogical, geochemical, radiochemical, microbiological aspects to enable predictions about efficiency, quantitative influencing factors and in particular transferability to other soil materials.

This will be performed in collaboration with partners from the Leibniz Universität Hannover, the Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, the VKTA Dresden Rossendorf, and in collaboration with the Microbial Communication (FSU-M) of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.

The Applied Geology group performs pore space characterisation and analysis of reactive transport processes in respective soils using petrographic and tomographic methods to investigate the following topics:

  • Mineralogy, clay mineral matrix, organic material of the soil
  • Hydrodynamics and rooting of plants and fungi
  • Reactive Transport Modelling

Preliminary results:

  • Master thesis of Lena Samhammer, Der Einfluss des Wachstums von Schizophyllum commune auf das Boden-Porenraumgefüge im Hinblick auf einen Bioremediationsansatz – Röntgenmikroskopische Untersuchungen unter Einbeziehung der Bodenphysikochemie und Petrographie (2023), Posterpdf, 5 mb
  • Master thesis of Nicolas Köppner, Untersuchung von Schadstofftransporten in Säulenversuchen mit Schizophyllum commune für die Entwicklung von Bioremediationsansätzen radioaktiv kontaminierter Böden (2023)

μ-XRF element mapping of Ti, Ca, Fe und Al in a thin section to investigate secondary mineral phases. (from bachelor thesis N. Münch (2020).

Image: Niklas Münch