ABSTRACT
Clay minerals are ubiquitous in soils, sediments, and sedimentary rocks, and they play critical roles in environmental processes. Microbes are prevalent in these geological media as well, and they interact with clays through several processes, including structural iron reduction and oxidation, mineral dissolution and precipitation, and the generation of siderophores and organic acids. These interactions significantly boost the speeds of clay mineral response. While it is undeniable that bacteria play major roles in clay mineral transformations, quantitative evaluation of these functions is restricted. Raw clay samples were collected from various locations in the Aforwa, Ubiaja, and Okpekpe areas in Southern Nigeria using hand augers to obtain fresh subsurface samples. X-ray Diffractogram and X-ray Fluorescence analysis were utilized to determine the mineralogical and geochemical composition of the samples. The analysis uncovered the presence of Illite-Muscovite, Kaolinite, Quartz, Anatase, Orthoclase, Microcline, and Hematite. It also showed the presence of bacteria such as Bacillus sp, Bacillus subtillis, bacillus cereus, Enerobacter erogenes, Enterobacter sp, etc. Based on the results, it is evident that the samples possess properties that make them suitable for pelotherapy, in comparison with other studies.
