Aisha Kanzari

SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE

Mineralogy

Environment

Geochemistry

Surface weathering processes

Elements migration and speciation

CONTACT DETAILS

Office : T23/24, 4th Floor, Room 410

Telephone : +33(0)1.44.27.24.41

Mail : aisha.kanzari @ impmc.upmc.fr (aisha.kanzari @ impmc.upmc.fr)

TECHNICAL SKILLS

 Field work:

• Field work and sampling of rocks, soils and water.

Sampling preparation:

• Liquids filtration and acidification;
• Pellets preparation, powders orientation and granulometric separation for XRD analyses;
• Acidic attacks and dilutions for ICP-MS preparation.

Analytical techniques:

• Optical microscopy, SEM (Secondary Electron Microscopy);
• Microprobe;
• X-ray diffraction;
• Optical spectroscopy;
• ICP-OES, ICP-MS and LA-ICP-MS;
• Ionic chromatography.

PhD Thesis

  - PhD Student at IMPMC since 2013 (work funded by AREVA NC)

  - Project: Weathering impact of granitic waste rock piles at former uranium mines (Limousin, France)

  - Advisor: M. GERARD, L. GALOISY (PALM, IMPMC)

Granitic waste rock is the world’s 2^nd most important waste material produced by uranium mining. Despite their low U-content, the stability of large volumes of granitic waste rocks piled in the landscape might become questionable during long term weathering. Compared to massive granite, these rocks have a higher specific surface and are more reactive to chemical and mechanical alteration. Our study focuses on waste rock piles exposed during 50 years of weathering in Central France. We use a multi-scale approach, associating field observations (soil alteration profiles) with mineralogical and geochemical investigations (DRX, ICP-MS, microscopy, microprobes: EDS / WDS, SEM and XAS), to assess the impact of incipient weathering on U-migration in the waste rock piles and the surrounding environment. 

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

2012 June: Master 2 of Chemistry, specialized in material physics and chemistry, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris VI.

2011 June: Master 1 Geochemistry, IPGP (Earth Physics Institute of Paris), Denis Diderot University, Paris VII.

2010 June: Bachelor's in fundamental geosciences STEP, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Denis Diderot University, Paris VII.

PUBLICATIONS

A. Kanzari, M. Gérard, F. Boekhout, L. Galoisy, G. Calas, M. Descostes, “Surficial weathering impact on granitic waste rock piles in Bellezane, Fanay, Hyverneresse, Pény and Margnac (former uranium mines in Limousin, France)” (in prep).

F. Boekhout, M. Gérard, A. Kanzari, A. Michel, A. Déjeant, L. Galoisy, G. Calas, M. Descostes “Uranium Migration and Retention during Weathering of a Granitic Waste Rock Pile” Applied Geochemistry 58 (2015): 123-35.

M. Moreira, A. Kanzari, and P. Madureira, “Helium and Neon Isotopes in São Miguel Island Basalts, Azores Archipelago: New Constraints on the ‘low 3 He’ Hotspot Origin” Chemical Geology 322 (2012): 91-98.

MAIN COLLABORATORS

  - Florence Lecornec (IRD)

  - Irina Djouarev (IRD)

  - Sandrine Caquineau (IRD)

  - Thierry Pilorge (IRD)

  - Agnès Michel (IPGP)

  - Pierre Burckel (IPGP)

  - Steven Conradson (MARS, SOLEIL)

  - Akhil Tayal (MARS SOLEIL)

  - Pier Lorenzo Solari (MARS SOLEIL)