EWCPS 2025 - 20th European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry
Lecture
07.03.2025 (CET)
Migration Dynamics of Thallium, Germanium, and Yttrium in Fractured Rock
ID

Ishai Dror (Ph.D.)

Weizmann Institute of Science

Dror, I. (Speaker)¹; Berkowitz, B.¹; Kalisman, ,.D.¹; Zinkin, M.¹
¹Weizmann Institute Of Science, Rehovot (Israel)
Vorschau
20 Min. Untertitel (CC)

Technology-critical elements (TCEs) are naturally occurring elements vital for modern technologies, such as electronics and renewable energy. The growing use of TCEs has led to their classification as contaminants of emerging concern with significant environmental and health risks. Upon release into the environment, TCEs can infiltrate aquifers, compromising groundwater quality and posing risks to human health and ecological sustainability. This presentation examines the transport dynamics of Thallium (Tl), Germanium (Ge), and Yttrium (Y) as representative TCEs through fractured dolomite formations, specifically assessing the influences of pH, salinity and the chemical composition of the rock on TCE transport mechanisms. Column experiments will be described using two types of cylindrical dolomite cores, ‘Bonneterre dolomite’ and ‘Silurian dolomite,’ each featuring a natural axial fracture. Bonneterre dolomite exhibits enhanced solute-rock interactions relative to Silurian dolomite. Tl and Ge demonstrated greater mobility than Y. The primary factor influencing solute transport was the chemical composition of the host rock, with pH and salinity playing a secondary role. Notably, lower pH and higher salinity conditions were found to enhance TCE mobility in certain scenarios. This investigation highlights distinct transport behaviors among various TCEs within fractured rock systems and underscores the complex interplay of chemical factors affecting TCE mobility and retention.

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