Advance in Studies on the Function of Microbes to the Weathering of Silicate Minerals

In small bodies of granite.The function of microbes to the weathering of silicate minerals has been gradually paid attention by environmental researchers and a series important research progress has been achieved recently.In the sterile nutrition environment,microbes have accelerated the weathering rate of silicate minerals in nature to get nutrient material from silicate minerals.Due to the interaction of microbes in the weathering process of silicate minerals,the generally stable minerals could be more easily weathered than the generally unstable minerals.Therefore,interaction of microbes could cause the weathering order of silicate minerals different to the normal sequence of chemical weathering.During the weathering process,microbes could make marks on the surface of the weathered silicate minerals and could change their chemical components and textures through the enrichment or migration of elements or minerals.All the activities of microorganisms described above are affected by following four factors:contents of nutritious matters,organic acid,biofilm,extracellular polymeric substance(EPS) and the redox reactions.