Geochemical and microbiological characterization of some Azorean volcanic muds after maturation

Abstract

Four Azorean volcanic muds were submitted to maturation (ageing process) with mineral water for 60 days under different abiotic conditions. This study intends to assess the geochemistry of these natural resources before and after maturation and to evaluate the ability of materials to be colonized by microorganisms under different mixing and light maturation procedures. Besides the geochemical and mineralogical analyses, bacterial quantification and diatom community identification and relative quantification were also provided. Principal component analysis was carried out on geochemical data. Our data reveal that muds have potentiality for thermal application and the modifications induced by maturation are affected by raw materials properties. Slightly geochemical modifications were verified probably due to the weathering of primary minerals. The bacteria and mainly the algae development on samples under light and no mixing maturation conditions were recorded rendering to muds potentialities for therapeutic uses.