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Submicron-scale mineral weathering and organo-mineral association in the rhizosphere of iron ore tailings
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DOI：10.1016/j.gca.2026.08.003.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Rhizosphere-driven mineral weathering plays a critical role in generating reactive minerals that stabilize organic matter (OM) and support the development of soil structure and biogeochemical functions in iron (Fe) ore tailings. However, the formation and evolution of organo-mineral association at submicron scale, and the extent to which particle size and tailings aging influence these associations remain poorly understood. The present study investigated how pioneer plant roots influence mineral weathering, reactive mineral formation, and stabilization of OM at submicron scale. Root colonization induced acidification and accelerated the weathering of Fe-K-rich mica (i.e. biotite) in tailings, leading to the formation of reactive phases, including vermiculite, short-range-ordered Fe-Si phases, and goethite. These transformations were mediated by particle size: coarse fractions (> 53 µm) promoted vermiculite neoformation, whereas fine fractions (< 53 µm) favored Fe oxyhydroxide formation. Synchrotron-based scanning-transmission X-ray microscopy with near-edge X-ray absorption-fine-structure-spectroscopy (STXM-NEXAFS) analysis further revealed that in original tailings, root-derived compounds, rich in aromatic, carboxyl, and phenolic groups, were heterogeneously associated with mixed-valence Fe-bearing minerals. In contrast, aged tailings predominantly stabilized aromatic, carboxyl, and aliphatic-rich organics on Fe(III)-bearing minerals. Collectively, these findings provide direct evidence for a previously unrecognized, in-situ coupled process in which root-induced weathering of primary minerals and the concurrent formation of reactive secondary mineral phases were associated with the stabilization of root-derived OM. In addition, tailings’ mineral particle size governs both weathering pathways and subsequent OM stabilization patterns. This rhizosphere driven “Weathering-Organo-Mineral” interaction advances mechanistic understanding of rhizosphere mediated mineral weathering and organo-mineral interactions in Fe ore tailings, with important implications for sustainable eco-engineered pedogenesis.
Keywords:
Sorghum spp.
Fe ore tailing
Mineral weathering
Reactive mineral
STXM-NEXAFS
Organo-mineral associations
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