Carbon sequestration via enhanced weathering of peridotites and basalts in seawater

Enhanced weathering of mafic and ultramafic rocks has been suggested as a carbon sequestration strategy for the mitigation of climate change. This study was designed to assess the potential drawdown of CO 2 directly from the atmosphere by the enhanced weathering of peridotites and basalts in seawater. Pulverized, and ball milled dunite, harzburgite and olivine basalt were reacted in artificial seawater in batch reactor systems open to the atmosphere for two months. The results demonstrate that the ball-milled dunite and harzburgite changed dramatically the chemical composition of the seawater within a few hours, inducing CO 2 drawdown directly from the atmosphere and ultimately the precipitation of aragonite. In contrast, pulverized but unmilled rocks, and the ball-milled basalt, did not yield any significant changes in seawater composition during the two-month experiments. As much as 10 wt percent aragonite was precipitated during the experiment containing the finest-grained dunite. These results demonstrate that ball milling can substantially enhance the weathering rate of peridotites in marine environments, promoting the permanent storage of CO 2 as environmentally benign carbonate minerals through enhanced weathering. The precipitation of Mg-silicate clay minerals, however, could reduce the efficiency of this carbon sequestration approach over longer timescales

Simultaneous EGFR and VEGF Alterations in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Based on Tissue Microarrays

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression is observed in significant proportions of non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). Furthermore, overactivation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) leads to increased angiogenesis implicated as an important factor in vascularization of those tumors.Patients and Methods: Using tissue microarray technology, forty-paraffi n (n = 40) embedded, histologically confirmed primary NSCLCs were cored and re-embedded into a recipient block. Immunohistochemistry was performed for the determination of EGFR and VEGF protein levels which were evaluated by the performance of computerized image analysis. EGFR gene amplification was studied by chromogenic in situ hybridization based on the use of EGFR gene and chromosome 7 centromeric probes.Results: EGFR overexpression was observed in 23/40 (57.5%) cases and was correlated to the stage of the tumors (p = 0.001), whereas VEGF was overexpressed in 35/40 (87.5%) cases and was correlated to the stage of the tumors (p = 0.005) and to the smoking history of the patients (p = 0.016). Statistical significance was assessed comparing the protein levels of EGFR and VEGF (p = 0.043, k = 0.846). EGFR gene amplification was identified in 2/40 (5%) cases demonstrating no association to its overall protein levels (p = 0.241), whereas chromosome 7 aneuploidy was detected in 7/40 (17.5%) cases correlating to smoking history of the patients (p = 0.013).Conclusions: A significant subset of NSCLC is characterized by EGFR and VEGF simultaneous overexpression and maybe this is the eligible target group for the application of combined anti-EGFR/VEGF targeted therapies at the basis of genetic deregulation (especially gene amplification for EGFR)

Correlation between petrographic and physicomechanical properties of the Pindos and Vourinos ophiolotic rocks and assessment of their suitability as aggregates in construction - industrial uses

The present thesis aims at investigating the influence of petrographic factors on the physicomechanical properties of the Pindos and Vourinos ophiolitic rocks. Samples were also collected from the Koziakas and eastern Othrys ophiolitic complexes, as well as from an exposure of Triassic volcanic rocks near the Domokos locality. The evaluation of the collected samples for their suitability as aggregates is attempted. In addition, selected ultrabasic samples are evaluated for their suitability in refractory industry. The studied areas were thoroughly mapped. The petrographic characteristics of each lithotype were examined and their mineralogical composition was quantified. Modern techniques were also applied, using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescent microscopy, in combination with digital image analysis. Additionally, the microcrack propagation during uniaxial compression was investigated, as well as the potential existence of asbestiform minerals in each sample. The geometrical, physicomechanical, physicochemical and chemical properties were determined for each rock sample. The basic lithotypes have higher strength than the ultrabasic. The trachytes usually have characteristics transitional between the basic and ultrabasic lithotypes. The interrelationships between the various properties were examined using regression and factor analysis. The properties of the basic and ultrabasic lithotypes tend to improve when the degree of alteration decreases. Exceptionally, the polishing resistance tends to increase with an increasing degree of hydrothermal metamorphism. Two new micropetrographic indices were proposed for the dolerites, the micropetrographic strength index (Ips) and the replacement index (Irep). These indices reflect and quantify petrographic transformations which take place during alteration. The ratio OOS was introduced for the ultrabasic samples, which reflects the degree of preservation of the primary mineral phases during serpentinization. Additionally, the index of mobile elements (Im) was introduced in order to quantify the degree of alteration of ultrabasic rocks. The studied rock types are suitable for the production of aggregates for concretes, mortars, road construction, railway track ballast, filters and armourstone. The only unsuitable samples are the intense serpentinized and tectonized harzburgites and the trachytes. In addition, the fresh ultrabasic samples can be used as raw materials in the refractory industry.Η παρούσα διατριβή διερευνά την επίδραση των πετρογραφικών παραμέτρων στις φυσικομηχανικές ιδιότητες των οφιολιθικών πετρωμάτων Πίνδου και Βούρινου. Επιπρόσθετα, μελετώνται ορισμένα δείγματα από τα οφιολιθικά συμπλέγματα του Κόζιακα και της ανατολικής Όθρυος και ορισμένα Τριαδικά ηφαιστειακά πετρώματα από την περιοχή του Δομοκού. Τα συλλεχθέντα δείγματα αξιολογούνται για την καταλληλότητά τους ως αδρανή υλικά. Επιπλέον, διερευνάται η καταλληλότητα υγιών υπερβασικών δειγμάτων στη βιομηχανία πυρίμαχων. Στις υπό μελέτη εμφανίσεις πραγματοποιήθηκε λεπτομερής γεωλογική χαρτογράφηση. Ακολούθησε πετρογραφική εξέταση των επιμέρους λιθότυπων και ποσοτικοποίηση των ορυκτολογικών συστατικών τους. Εφαρμόστηκαν σύγχρονες τεχνικές με ηλεκτρονικό μικροσκόπιο σάρωσης, μικροσκόπιο φθορισμού και λογισμικό ψηφιακής επεξεργασίας εικόνας. Διερευνήθηκε επίσης ο τρόπος διάδοσης των μικρορωγμών κατά τη μοναξονική φόρτιση των πετρωμάτων και δόθηκε έμφαση στην πιθανή συμμετοχή αμιαντούχων ορυκτών σε αυτά. Προσδιορίστηκαν οι γεωμετρικές, φυσικομηχανικές, φυσικοχημικές και χημικές ιδιότητες των δειγμάτων και διαπιστώθηκε ότι οι βασικοί λιθότυποι παρουσιάζουν υψηλότερη μηχανική αντοχή από τους υπερβασικούς, ενώ οι τραχίτες έχουν συνήθως μεταβατικά χαρακτηριστικά μεταξύ των δύο παραπάνω κατηγοριών πετρωμάτων. Οι συσχετίσεις μεταξύ των προσδιορισθέντων ιδιοτήτων διερευνήθηκαν με ανάλυση παλινδρόμησης και παραγοντική ανάλυση. Οι ιδιότητες των βασικών και υπερβασικών λιθότυπων τείνουν να βελτιώνονται όσο μειώνεται ο βαθμός εξαλλοίωσης. Εξαίρεση αποτελεί ο δείκτης αντίστασης σε στίλβωση, ο οποίος τείνει να βελτιώνεται αυξανομένου του βαθμού υδροθερμικής μεταμόρφωσης. Για τους δολερίτες διατυπώθηκαν δύο νέοι μικροπετρογραφικοί δείκτες, ο δείκτης αντοχής (Ips) και ο δείκτης αντικατάστασης (Irep), οι οποίοι αποτελούν ποσοτική έκφραση των πετρογραφικών μεταβολών που λαμβάνουν χώρα κατά την εξαλλοίωση. Για τους υπερβασικούς λιθότυπους εισήχθηκε ο λόγος OOS, ο οποίος εκφράζει το βαθμό διατήρησης των πρωτογενών ορυκτών κατά τη σερπεντινίωση. Για τον προσδιορισμό του βαθμού εξαλλοίωσης των υπερβασικών πετρωμάτων εισήχθηκε ο δείκτης ευκίνητων στοιχείων (Im). Οι υπό μελέτη λιθότυποι είναι κατάλληλοι για χρήση ως αδρανή σκυροδεμάτων, κονιαμάτων, οδοποιίας, σκύρων σιδηροτροχιών, φίλτρων και βράχων θωράκισης, με εξαίρεση τους έντονα σερπεντινιωμένους και τεκτονισμένους χαρτσβουργίτες και τους τραχίτες. Ακόμη, τα υγιή υπερβασικά δείγματα είναι κατάλληλα για χρήση ως πρώτες ύλες στη βιομηχανία πυρίμαχων

Ball Milling Effect on the CO₂ Uptake of Mafic and Ultramafic Rocks: A Review

Mineral carbonation is considered to be the most stable mechanism for the sequestration of CO2. This study comprises a comparative review of the effect of ball milling on the CO2 uptake of ultramafic/mafic lithologies, which are the most promising rocks for the mineralization of CO2. Samples of dunite, pyroxenite, olivine basalt and of a dolerite quarry waste material were previously subjected to ball milling to produce ultrafine powders with enhanced CO2 uptake. The optimum milling conditions were determined through selective CO2 chemisorption followed by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments, revealing that the CO2 uptake of the studied lithologies can be substantially enhanced via mechanical activation. Here, all these data are compared, demonstrating that the behavior of each rock under the effect of ball milling is predominantly controlled by the mineralogical composition of the starting rock materials. The ball-milled rock with the highest CO2 uptake is the dunite, followed by the olivine basalt, the pyroxenite and the dolerite. The increased CO2 uptake after ball milling is mainly attributed to the reduction of particle size to the nanoscale range, thus creating more adsorption sites per gram basis, as well as to the structural disordering of the constituent silicate minerals