Carbonate Precipitation through Microbial Activities in Natural Environment, and Their Potential in Biotechnology: A Review

Abstract

Calcium carbonate represents a large portion of carbon reservoir and is used commercially for a variety of applications. Microbial carbonate precipitation, a by-product of microbial activities, plays an important metal coprecipitation and cementation role in natural systems. This natural process occurring in various geological settings can be mimicked and used for a number of biotechnologies, such as metal remediation, carbon sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, and construction restoration. In this study, different metabolic activities leading to calcium carbonate precipitation, their native environment, and potential applications and challenges are reviewed.

What do we really know about early diagenesis of non-marine carbonates?

“…The evolving (paleo)environmental context is given by the arrows around the pyramid shape and includes climate, dominant fluids, and the presence and degradation of organic matter (Baumgartner et al, 2006;Dupraz et al, 2009;Zhu and Dittrich, 2016). Armenteros (2010) suggested a similar early diagenesis domain and called it 'eogenetic meteoric diagenesis', in parallel with its denomination in the marine world.…”

“…), thereby affecting their concentration in solution (Dupraz and Visscher, 2005;Visscher and Stolz, 2005;Dupraz et al, 2009;Arp et al, 2010;Roberts et al, 2013;Zhu and Dittrich, 2016). They may as well glue particles together, such as certain filamentous microbes in caves, or retain water in their framework (Barton et al, 2001;Barton and Northup, 2007;Jones, 2010).…”

“…These processes fall roughly into two categories; microbial carbonate precipitation (1) as a by-product of common metabolic activities like oxygenic/anoxygenic photosynthesis, aerobic respiration, denitrification, ammonification, sulfate reduction, methanotrophy, iron reduction (Michaelis et al, 2002;Dupraz et al, 2004Dupraz et al, , 2009Visscher and Stolz, 2005;Rogerson et al, 2014;Zhu and Dittrich, 2016); and (2) by using cell walls, filamentous structures or extracellular organic matter (EOM) (including extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and low-molecular weight organic carbon) (Decho et al, 2005) as templates for crystals with different habits (Shiraishi et al, 2008a(Shiraishi et al, , 2008bDupraz et al, 2009;Arp et al, 2010;Pedley, 2014;Rogerson et al, 2014;Fig. 3B, C).…”

Evidence of a Role for Aerobic Bacteria in High Magnesium Carbonate Formation in the Evaporitic Environment of Dohat Faishakh Sabkha in Qatar

“…Calcium carbonate formation and its burial in marine sediments account for approximately 80% of total carbon removal from the Earth's surface by abiotic and biotic precipitation (Sun and Turchyn, 2014). The biotic precipitation of calcium carbonates, defined as that which is biologically induced or influenced, is performed by various organisms, including bacteria, and has been widely reported and discussed in the literature (Dhami et al, 2013;Anbu et al, 2016;Zhu and Dittrich, 2016). In contrast, the formation of high-magnesium calcites is extremely challenging, due to the high level of hydration of Mg 2+ ions, which promotes the formation of Mg-free aragonite, rather than calcite (Lenders et al, 2013).…”

“…The most abundant biogenic minerals are the calcium carbonates (Mukherjee, 2011). Carbonates such as limestone and dolomite are important carbon reservoirs (Zhu and Dittrich, 2016). Calcium carbonate formation and its burial in marine sediments account for approximately 80% of total carbon removal from the Earth's surface by abiotic and biotic precipitation (Sun and Turchyn, 2014).…”