Schlagwort: enhanced weathering

Harun Niron, Arthur Vienne, Patrick Frings, Reinaldy Poetra, Sara Vicca IN: Global Change Biology 30 (9), e17511, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17511

Among CDR technologies, enhanced silicate weathering (ESW) has been suggested as a promising option. While ESW has been demonstrated to depend strongly on pH, water, and temperature, recent studies suggest that biota may accelerate mineral weathering rates. Bacillus subtilis is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium that can facilitate weathering to obtain mineral nutrients. It is a promising agricultural biofertilizer, as it helps plants acquire nutrients and protects them from environmental stresses. Given that croplands are optimal implementation fields for ESW, any synergy between ESW and B. subtilis can hold great potential for further practice. B. subtilis was reported to enhance weathering under laboratory conditions, but there is a lack of data for soil applications. In a soil-mesocosm experiment, the authors examined the effect of B. subtilis on basalt weathering.

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Arthur Vienne, Patrick Frings, Sílvia Poblador, Laura Steinwidder, Jet Rijnders, Jonas Schoelynck, Olga Vinduskova, Sara Vicca IN: Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 109596, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109596

The role of soil organisms, such as earthworms, in enhancing silicate weathering (both physically and chemically) has been suggested, but there is limited quantitative data on how biota, especially earthworms, contribute to inorganic carbon sequestration. To address these gaps, the authors conducted a mesocosm experiment with earthworms and basalt.

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Harun Niron, Arthur Vienne, Patrick Frings, Reinaldy Poetra, Sara Vicca IN: Global Change Biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17511

While ESW has been demonstrated to depend strongly on pH, water, and temperature, recent studies suggest that biota may accelerate mineral weathering rates. Bacillus subtilis is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium that can facilitate weathering to obtain mineral nutrients. It is a promising agricultural biofertilizer, as it helps plants acquire nutrients and protects them from environmental stresses. Given that croplands are optimal implementation fields for ESW, any synergy between ESW and B. subtilis can hold great potential for further practice. B. subtilis was reported to enhance weathering under laboratory conditions, but there is a lack of data for soil applications. In a soil-mesocosm experiment, the authors examined the effect of B. subtilis on basalt weathering. B. subtilis–basalt interaction stimulated basalt weathering and increased soil extractable Fe.

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Charlotte R. Levy, Maya Almaraz, David J. Beerling, Peter Raymond, Christopher T. Reinhard, Tim Jesper Suhrhoff, Lyla Taylor IN: Environmental Science & Technology, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c02368

This paper identifies potential negative consequences and positive co-benefits of ERW scale-up and suggests mitigation and monitoring strategies. To do so, the authors examined literature on not only ERW but also industry, agriculture, ecosystem science, water chemistry, and human health. From this work, they develop recommendations for future research, infrastructure, and policy needs. The authors also recommend target metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and best practices for monitoring that will permit early detection and prevention of negative environmental impacts.

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Heath D. Hasemer, Justin Borevitz, Wolfram Buss IN: Frontiers in Climate, doi: 10.3389/fclim.2024.1352825

This study compares current measurement approaches that focus on quantifying inorganic carbon and cations within the soil and leachate. Cation-based calculations of CDR were compared to inorganic carbon-based calculations of CDR and soil results were compared to leachate results. The recovery rate of cations in the soil fraction was also tested. Three different ground silicate minerals/rocks – basalt, olivine and wollastonite, were mixed with two different soils and were allowed to weather over 16 weeks in pots with and without plants under different watering regimes and the application of an acidifying fertiliser. Soil and leachate samples were analysed for cations by ICP-OES and inorganic carbon by direct acidification and total alkalinity titration (in leachate only).

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Eunice Oppon, S.C. Lenny Koh, Rafael Eufrasio IN: Energy Economicy, 136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2024.107722

There is limited research about the broad sustainability impacts in rolling enhanced weathering (EW) on a large scale. This research assesses the triple bottom line sustainability of EW in eight top-emitting countries using an extended input-output model.

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Dimitar Z. Epihov, Steven A. Banwart, Steve P. McGrath, David P. Martin, Isabella L. Steeley, Vicky Cobbold, Ilsa B. Kantola, Michael D. Masters, Evan H. DeLucia, David J. Beerling IN: Environmental Science and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c10146

Here, the authors combine multiomics analyses of belowground microbiomes, laboratory-based dissolution studies, and incubation investigations of soils from field enhanced rock weathering (EW) trials to build the case for manipulating iron chelators in soil to increase EW efficiency and lower costs. Microbial siderophores are high-affinity, highly selective iron (Fe) chelators that enhance the uptake of Fe from soil minerals into cells. Applying RNA-seq metatranscriptomics and shotgun metagenomics to soils and basalt grains from EW field trials revealed that microbial communities on basalt grains significantly upregulate siderophore biosynthesis gene expression relative to microbiomes of the surrounding soil. Separate in vitro laboratory incubation studies showed that micromolar solutions of siderophores and high-affinity synthetic chelator (ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis-2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, EDDHA) accelerate EW to increase CDR rates. Building on these findings, we develop a potential biotechnology pathway for accelerating EW using the synthetic Fe-chelator EDDHA that is commonly used in agronomy to alleviate the Fe deficiency in high pH soils.

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