Micans goes underground

2015-12-15

Micans is now well under way to analyse the microbe samples from two extracted miniture copper canisters from SKB's so-called Minican-experiment in the Äspö tunnel.

The Minican -experiment started in 2007 with five miniature copper canisters, with and without bentonite clay, that were placed at 450 m depth in the bedrock in SKB's research tunnel at Äspö. The purpose of the experiment was to study the effects of corrosion on the welds of the canisters. http://www.skb.se/halla-dar/miniatyrkapslar-ger-kunskap-om-mikrober-och-korrosion-2/ (in swedish).

In 2011, the first of the five cansisters was retrieved and at that time Micans was responsible for sampling and analyses of microorganisms in groundwater and on surfaces. This autumn another two cansisters were retrieved and Micans did the sampling also on these canisters, see picture. Now the analyses of samples remains and the results are expected to be completed early next year.

Sampling for microbial analyses is being performed on one of the copper canisters placed in a box without oxygen. Photo: Micans