Strength Enhancement and Lead Immobilization of Sand Using Consortia of Bacteria and Blue-Green Algae
Abstract
Metabolites generated from microorganisms have a high potential for the strength improvement and contaminant remediation of soils. The consortium of naturally available bacteria and microalgae in soils provides a sustainable, carbon-neutral, economical, and environmentally friendly approach for both biocementation and contaminant remediation. This combined approach has not been explored earlier. The study aims to improve the strength and reduce leachable lead in cohesionless soil by providing optimal nutrients and chemicals to expedite the metabolic activity for the formation of calcite crystals in between the sand grains. Laboratory experiments were conducted using a poorly graded sand that was artificially contaminated with lead (toxic heavy metal). Algae Nostoc commune (blue-green algae) was used individually and in consortium with Bacillus (B.) sphaericus and Sporosarcina (S.) pasteurii in sand. The uncontaminated and artificially contaminated soil specimens were inoculated with different consortia combinations and treated with two different cementation media concentrations up to 16 days. After biocementation, unconfined compressive strength, direct shear, permeability, and leachability tests were conducted to analyze the engineering properties of the sand and the contaminant (lead) immobilization. The amount of calcite content was analyzed based on a calcimeter test. The leachability of lead from biocemented sand was analyzed using toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP), which showed 94%–99.2% immobilization of lead. The formation of CaCO3 and PbCO3 was identified by microcharacterization, which showed immobilization of leachable lead. The results revealed that biotreatment with the consortium of B. sphaericus and Nostoc commune increase strength, decrease permeability, and increase contaminant immobilization of sands.
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Under optimized nutrient and chemical conditions, the biocementation process was enhanced.
“Furthermore, under optimized nutrient and chemical conditions, the biocementation process was enhanced.”
From A Review of Algae-Based Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (Algae-Based CCUS) (2024) · cites this paper as [270]
In Sharma et al.'s study, a consortium of Bacillus sphaericus and Nostoc commune catalyzed formation of calcite crystals that bonded sand particles, significantly increasing soil strength and reducing permeability.
“The results demonstrated that these microorganisms catalyzed the formation of calcite (CaCO 3 ) crystals, which bonded sand particles together, significantly increasing the soil strength and reducing permeability.”
From A Review of Algae-Based Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (Algae-Based CCUS) (2024) · cites this paper as [270]
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A Review of Algae-Based Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (Algae-Based CCUS)
Li, G., & Yao, J. (2024) · Gases · doi:10.3390/gases4040024 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
- Authors
- Sharma, M., Satyam, N., & Reddy, K. R.
- Affiliations
- Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IN)
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Satyam, Neelima
- Venue
- Journal of Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste
- Published
- 2020-10
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 4
- ISSN
- 2153-5493 (ISSN-L)
- 2153-5515
- OpenAlex
- W3041346013
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 2.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Hazardous Toxic and Radioactive Waste (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Microbial Applications in Construction Materials
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Stabilization
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Earth-Surface Processes › Building materials and conservation
- Keywords
- biocementation, lead immobilization, heavy metal contamination, poorly graded sand, Nostoc commune, Bacillus sphaericus, Sporosarcina pasteurii, calcite precipitation, unconfined compressive strength, shear strength, permeability reduction, soil stabilization
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