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Cited by 15CO2 Sequestration and Geologic InteractionsCarbon Dioxide Capture TechnologiesMarine and coastal ecosystems

Assessing the Limit of CO2 Storage in Seawater as Bicarbonate-Enriched Solutions

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Varliero, Selene, Jamali Alamooti, Samira, Campo, Francesco Pietro, Cappello, Giovanni, Cappello, Stefano, Caserini, Stefano, Comazzi, Federico, Macchi, Piero +1 more·2024·Molecules
DOI 10.3390/molecules29174069PMC PMC11397659
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Abstract

The dissolution of CO2 in seawater in the form of bicarbonate ions is an attractive alternative to storage in geological formations, on the condition that the storage is stable over long periods and does not harm the marine environment. In this work, we focus on the long-term chemical stability of CO2 absorbed in seawater as bicarbonate by monitoring the physico-chemical properties of the solutions (pH, dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity) in six different sets of experiments on both natural and artificial seawater lasting up to three months. The bicarbonate treatment of natural seawater consists of mixing it with pre-equilibrated solutions obtained from the reaction of CO2 and Ca(OH)2, with the same pH as natural seawater. This was achieved with a pilot plant working with tons of seawater, while small-scale laboratory experiments were carried out by adding sodium bicarbonate to artificial seawater solutions. If the increase in the overall carbon concentration in the final mixture does not exceed a critical threshold (about 1000–1500 μmol/L), the resulting bicarbonate-rich solutions are found to be stable for over three months.

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Crossref · 10.3390/molecules29174069

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  • In an OAE context, the most likely minerals to precipitate include calcium carbonate (CaCO3) polymorphs and magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2).

    “In an OAE context, the most likely minerals to precipitate include calcium carbonate (CaCO3) polymorphs and magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2). 14,15,28,30-34”

    From A framework for understanding efficiency losses of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (2026) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Results (page unavailable) identify precipitated aragonite, a CaCO3 polymorph, and the Discussion considers calcite and aragonite precipitation in OAE. The paper does not identify magnesium hydroxide as a likely precipitate; its mention of magnesium concerns inhibition of calcite precipitation. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Once reaching a pH of ~10.5, Mg(OH)2 precipitates concomitantly with alkalinity increase.

    “Once reaching a pH of ~10.5, Mg(OH)2 precipitates concomitantly with alkalinity increase. 30-34,43”

    From A framework for understanding efficiency losses of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (2026) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Introduction discusses precipitation of carbonate minerals, and the Results identify the observed precipitate as aragonite; neither passage addresses Mg(OH)2 precipitation at pH ~10.5. Searches for that threshold and for magnesium hydroxide or brucite precipitation found no passage supporting the claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Varliero, S., Jamali Alamooti, S., Campo, F. P., Cappello, G., Cappello, S., Caserini, S., Comazzi, F., Macchi, P., & Raos, G.
Affiliations
  • Politecnico di Milano (IT)
  • Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
  • Limenet®, Via Giovanni Amendola 4-6, 23900 Lecco, Italy
  • University of Parma (IT)
Corresponding author
  • Macchi, Piero
  • Raos, Guido
ORCID
Venue
Molecules
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2024-08-28
Volume
29
Issue
17
Pages
4069
ISSN
1420-3049 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/molecules29174069
PMC
PMC11397659
OpenAlex
W4401934302
Cited by
15
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 2
FWCI
1.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Molecules (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Preprints.org (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Virtual Community of Pathological Anatomy (University of Castilla La Mancha) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Limenet®
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
Keywords
CO2 sequestration, seawater, bicarbonate, chemical stability, dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, pH, calcium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, artificial seawater, long-term storage, marine environmental impact

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