Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous Soils

The concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) in natural aqueous environments are controlled by sorption and dissolution–precipitation reactions. Ca binding in calcareous soils depends on the degree of solution saturation with respect to CaCO<sub>3</sub>. Mg may be bound in preci...

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Main Authors: Mostafa Abdollahpour, Frank Heberling, Dieter Schild, Rasoul Rahnemaie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-02-01
Series:Minerals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/265
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author Mostafa Abdollahpour
Frank Heberling
Dieter Schild
Rasoul Rahnemaie
author_facet Mostafa Abdollahpour
Frank Heberling
Dieter Schild
Rasoul Rahnemaie
author_sort Mostafa Abdollahpour
collection DOAJ
description The concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) in natural aqueous environments are controlled by sorption and dissolution–precipitation reactions. Ca binding in calcareous soils depends on the degree of solution saturation with respect to CaCO<sub>3</sub>. Mg may be bound in precipitating calcite. Here, we investigated Mg incorporation into calcite via the recrystallization of vaterite, which simulates a very low supersaturation in a wide range of Mg to Ca ratios and pH conditions. Increasing the Mg to Ca ratios (0.2 to 10) decreased the partition coefficient of Mg in calcite from 0.03 to 0.005. An approximate thermodynamic mixing parameter (Guggenheim <i>a</i><sub>0</sub> = 3.3 ± 0.2), that is valid for dilute systems was derived from the experiments at the lowest initial Mg to Ca ratio (i.e., 0.2). At elevated Mg to Ca ratios, aragonite was preferentially formed, indicating kinetic controls on Mg partitioning into Mg-calcite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) analyses indicated that Mg is not incorporated into aragonite. The thermodynamic mixing model suggests that at elevated Mg to Ca ratio (i.e., ≥1) Mg-calcite becomes unstable relative to pure aragonite. Finally, our results suggest that the abiotic incorporation of Mg into calcite is only effective for the removal of Mg from aqueous environments like calcareous soil solution, if the initial Mg to Ca ratio is already low.
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spelling doaj.art-dd2aef58545e4c77b9030bbb4bacece62023-11-23T21:19:24ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2022-02-0112226510.3390/min12020265Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous SoilsMostafa Abdollahpour0Frank Heberling1Dieter Schild2Rasoul Rahnemaie3Department of Soil Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran P.O. Box 14115-336, IranInstitute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GermanyInstitute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GermanyDepartment of Soil Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran P.O. Box 14115-336, IranThe concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) in natural aqueous environments are controlled by sorption and dissolution–precipitation reactions. Ca binding in calcareous soils depends on the degree of solution saturation with respect to CaCO<sub>3</sub>. Mg may be bound in precipitating calcite. Here, we investigated Mg incorporation into calcite via the recrystallization of vaterite, which simulates a very low supersaturation in a wide range of Mg to Ca ratios and pH conditions. Increasing the Mg to Ca ratios (0.2 to 10) decreased the partition coefficient of Mg in calcite from 0.03 to 0.005. An approximate thermodynamic mixing parameter (Guggenheim <i>a</i><sub>0</sub> = 3.3 ± 0.2), that is valid for dilute systems was derived from the experiments at the lowest initial Mg to Ca ratio (i.e., 0.2). At elevated Mg to Ca ratios, aragonite was preferentially formed, indicating kinetic controls on Mg partitioning into Mg-calcite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) analyses indicated that Mg is not incorporated into aragonite. The thermodynamic mixing model suggests that at elevated Mg to Ca ratio (i.e., ≥1) Mg-calcite becomes unstable relative to pure aragonite. Finally, our results suggest that the abiotic incorporation of Mg into calcite is only effective for the removal of Mg from aqueous environments like calcareous soil solution, if the initial Mg to Ca ratio is already low.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/265magnesium calciteMg to Ca ratiorecrystallizationthermodynamicssolid-solutionpartition coefficient
spellingShingle Mostafa Abdollahpour
Frank Heberling
Dieter Schild
Rasoul Rahnemaie
Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous Soils
Minerals
magnesium calcite
Mg to Ca ratio
recrystallization
thermodynamics
solid-solution
partition coefficient
title Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous Soils
title_full Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous Soils
title_fullStr Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous Soils
title_full_unstemmed Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous Soils
title_short Magnesium Coprecipitation with Calcite at Low Supersaturation: Implications for Mg-Enriched Water in Calcareous Soils
title_sort magnesium coprecipitation with calcite at low supersaturation implications for mg enriched water in calcareous soils
topic magnesium calcite
Mg to Ca ratio
recrystallization
thermodynamics
solid-solution
partition coefficient
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/265
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AT dieterschild magnesiumcoprecipitationwithcalciteatlowsupersaturationimplicationsformgenrichedwaterincalcareoussoils
AT rasoulrahnemaie magnesiumcoprecipitationwithcalciteatlowsupersaturationimplicationsformgenrichedwaterincalcareoussoils