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The effects of cyanobacterial biofilms on water transport and retention of natural building stones
- Source :
- Earth surface processes and landforms, EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 47(8), 1921. Wiley Online Library
- Publication Year :
- 2022
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2022.
-
Abstract
- Water affects the susceptibility of stone to alteration by facilitating physical, chemical and biological weathering. Stone properties determine water transport and retention, but it is also expected that biofilms and extracellular polymeric substances could alter the water-stone relationship. A lot of research on this subject has been carried out on soils, but the effect on stones is understudied. For this reason, three sedimentary building stones, Ernzen, Euville and Savonnieres, each with a different pore size distribution, were biofouled with cyanobacteria. Their relationship with the stone material was investigated by optical and electron microscopy, and the effect of cyanobacterial biofilms on water transport and retention was studied. The results showed that the cyanobacteria primarily colonize the building stones on the outer surface and have a limited effect on the water transport properties. They slightly reduced the capillary coefficient and drying rate of the stones, but enhanced the water content in the stone and increased water vapour sorption. They induced (near) hydrophobic conditions, but had no measurable effect on the gas permeability and water vapour diffusion. Moreover, swelling and shrinkage of the biofilms were observed, which could potentially induce physical weathering. It is expected that these changes could influence other forms of weathering, such as freeze-thaw weathering and salt weathering.
- Subjects :
- EXOPOLYSACCHARIDES
Economics
BIODETERIORATION
Physics
Geography, Planning and Development
SOIL CRUSTS
extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)
Earth and Environmental Sciences
PRECIPITATION
biofouling
LIMESTONE
MONUMENTS
weathering
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
biodeterioration
BIODIVERSITY
DETERIORATION
heritage conservation
PHOTOTROPHIC BIOFILMS
WETTABILITY
Engineering sciences. Technology
Earth-Surface Processes
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10969837 and 01979337
- Volume :
- 47
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....eaa5075c44c4db1208a4ed7b45b90906