Affiliations 

  • 1 Centre of Lipids Engineering and Applied Research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310 UTM, Johor, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310 UTM, Johor, Malaysia
  • 3 Laboratory of Biocomposite Technology, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Chemistry, Govt. Degree College Tral, Kashmir J&K-192123, India
  • 5 School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia
Materials (Basel), 2020 Nov 05;13(21).
PMID: 33167607 DOI: 10.3390/ma13214993

Abstract

Nowadays, microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) has received great attention for its potential in construction and geotechnical applications. This technique has been used in biocementation of sand, consolidation of soil, production of self-healing concrete or mortar, and removal of heavy metal ions from water. The products of MICP often have enhanced strength, durability, and self-healing ability. Utilization of the MICP technique can also increase sustainability, especially in the construction industry where a huge portion of the materials used is not sustainable. The presence of bacteria is essential for MICP to occur. Bacteria promote the conversion of suitable compounds into carbonate ions, change the microenvironment to favor precipitation of calcium carbonate, and act as precipitation sites for calcium carbonate crystals. Many bacteria have been discovered and tested for MICP potential. This paper reviews the bacteria used for MICP in some of the most recent studies. Bacteria that can cause MICP include ureolytic bacteria, non-ureolytic bacteria, cyanobacteria, nitrate reducing bacteria, and sulfate reducing bacteria. The most studied bacterium for MICP over the years is Sporosarcina pasteurii. Other bacteria from Bacillus species are also frequently investigated. Several factors that affect MICP performance are bacterial strain, bacterial concentration, nutrient concentration, calcium source concentration, addition of other substances, and methods to distribute bacteria. Several suggestions for future studies such as CO2 sequestration through MICP, cost reduction by using plant or animal wastes as media, and genetic modification of bacteria to enhance MICP have been put forward.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.