Environmental Mineralogy

About us

The Environmental Mineralogy group, in the School of Earth Sciences at the Univeristy of Bristol focuses on natural processes which take place, especially those which involve iron minerals. We specialise in microbe-mineral interactions and biomineralisation with our research aimining to advance knowledge in grand environmental questions. We combine laboratory experiments, with advanced spectroscopic methods to reveal insights into how bacteria produce minerals and how those biogenic minerals can be used for applications in real world settings such as metal recovery and water remediation.

Research Areas

Data Fitting
Data Fitting

Biogeobatteries

Biogeobatteries are mixed valence minerals that can sustainably act as electron sources or sinks without undergoing physical transformation. This broad definition of a biogeobattery potentially applies to a wide range of mineral phases such as iron oxides, iron-bearing clays, sulphides or green rust. Such minerals are ubiquitous across the planet and could be responsible for a large proportion of energy transfer in subsurface environments. This project will develop a fundamental understanding of how bacteria access biogeobatteries, so that we can learn how to release this potential and perhaps even initiate the advancement of low-cost, low-power energy storage devices for remote locations.

Metal recovery and remediation

We are investigating the ability of biogenic and abiogenic iron minerals such as magnetite or ferrihydrite to sorb and sequester different critical (e.g. cobalt, zinc, vanadium) and toxic metals (e.g., arsenic, chromium, cadmium). Through this research we aim to develop novel approaches to extract resources from waste and improve water quality.

Data Fitting
Data Fitting

Data analysis

We are developing new methods for analysing data collected via analytical techniques such as Moessbauer & Raman spectroscopies, as well as X-ray diffraction through a web based platform. This ecosystem will combine user data with evolving databases to ensure rapid analysis and interpretation of both simple and complex samples.

Environmental magnetism & climate

This work is seeking to explain how iron metabolising bacteria produce magnetic minerals in the environment and reveal the link between such processes and climate change. For instance, high rainfall drives anoxic, reducing conditions suitable for iron reducing bacteria which form magnetite. When rainfall is low, oxic conditions prevail, microbial reduction is stopped or slowed, and magnetite formation is low. As a result changes in magnetic properties of soils and sediments can be used as proxies for past rainfall in different environments.

People

Data Fitting

James Byrne - Associate Professor

I am a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow. My research explores the links between magnetism and microbial processes in the environment supported by my multidisciplinary background in physics, geomicrobiology and environmental mineralogy. I apply a range of analytical approaches including spectroscopic, magnetic and electron microscopy based techniques to develop understanding about fundamental processes occurring in the environment, and also show how these bioinspired materials can be used for technological applications including remediation.

james.byrne@bristol.ac.uk | @doc_jbyrne

Jagannath Biswakarma - Research Associate

Jagannath's research interests lie in environmental biogeochemistry, water quality, and at the intersection of science and policy. His primary research couples environmental and geochemical observations to understand how minerals and contaminants cycle across different ecosystems under dynamic conditions.

jagannath.biswakarma@bristol.ac.uk @JDBiswakarma

Data Fitting
Data Fitting

Harry Forrester - TA

Harry is a technical specialist of biogeochemical research for the environmental mineralogy and geomicrobiology group at the university of Bristol. He is currently facilitating projects involving nutrient and mineral cycling of environmental anaerobes and manages a capable and collaborative biogeochemistry research laboratory. Harry employs a comprehensive arsenal of analytical techniques including chromatography, spectroscopy and isotopic spectrometry to describe geochemical processes. Recent research contributions included investigation of the influence of glacial rock flour soil amendments on nitrogen cycling in cropland, and redox manipulations of environmental iron minerals for waste water remediation.

hmj.forrester@bristol.ac.uk

Al Tanner - Research Software Engineer

Sami is a PDRA working on a project to synthesize magnetite nanoparticles using a biogenic route as part of acid mine drainage remediation. Sami comes from a nanoscience and nanotechnology background and has a PhD in physics with a focus on thin film deposition and characterisation at ultra high vacuum. Sami has almost 7 years of experience in growing and characterising the nanomaterials and thin films for various environmental applications.

sami.ullah@bristol.ac.uk

Data Fitting
Data Fitting

Katie O'Neill - PhD Student

I am a PhD student exploring the selective recovery of critical metals from environmental and anthropogenic waste by biologically mediated fractionation. As an environmental scientist I have been drawn towards the relationship between human activities and natural processes. One of these being the lifecycle of critical metals. My current research enables me to develop solutions for recovering and reusing these metals after their disposable using magnetic nanoparticles and therefore, contributing to a more sustainable future.

katie.oneill@bristol.ac.uk

Sara Attfield - MSci Student

As a MSci environmental geoscience student, I am fascinated by the wide range of processes on Earth. From microbes at a nanoscale, to entire planetary systems at a global scale. Currently, I am investigating the use of microbial communities to effectively remove heavy metals, like uranium, from contaminated groundwater. My goal is to improve climate resilience and help communities at risk, such as the Native Americans in South Dakota that suffer from health disparities arising from their highly contaminated drinking water supply. In the future I hope to continue research in sustainable development and climate change mitigations, whilst striving for social equity.

hz20675@bristol.ac.uk

Sara Attfield

Selected Publications

- A revised analysis of ferrihydrite at liquid helium temperature using Moessbauer spectroscopy

Byrne J.M., Kappler A., 2022, American Mineralogist, https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2021-7802

- Chromium (VI) removal kinetics by magnetite-coated sand: Small-scale flow-through column experiments

Sorwat J., Mellage A., Maisch M., Kappler A., Cirpka O. A., Byrne J. M., 2021, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 415, 125648, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125648

- Effect of Microbial Biomass and Humic Acids on Abiotic and Biotic Magnetite Formation

Han, X., Tomaszewski, E., Sorwat, J., Pan, Y., Kappler, A., Byrne, J.M., 2021, Environmental Science and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07095

- Imaging organic-mineral aggregates formed by Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria using He-Ion Microscopy

Byrne, J. M., Schmidt, M., Gauger, T., Bryce, C., Kappler, A., 2018, Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 5, 209-213, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00077

- Redox cycling of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in magnetite by Fe-metabolizing bacteria

Byrne J. M., Klueglein, N., Pearce, C., Rosso K. M., Appel, E., Kappler, A. Science 347, 1473-1476, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaa4834

Google Scholar

Outreach

As a committee member of the Environmental Mineralogy Group of the Mineralogical Society, James created a video highlighting the properties of his favourite mineral magnetite. EMG Competition

Opportunities

We are currently looking for applicants to fill two PhD positions (Deadlines January 2024):

  • Biomagnetism & biogeochemical batteries: applications to achieving sustainable development goals
  • Combining light and bacteria to design cheap and sustainable methods of arsenic and uranium removal from drinking water sources

    • We are also seeking applicants to fill a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) position to support our project on "Iron biogeobatteries are sustainable electron sources and sinks in the environment" (Deadline 3rd January 2024):

  • Iron biogeobatteries are sustainable electron sources and sinks in the environment

    • Funding

    The work we carry out would not be possible without support from:

    UKRI DFG