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Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Microbiologically Induced Calcite Precipitation Mediated by Sporosarcina pasteurii
Published on: April 16, 2016
Attachment on mortar surfaces by cyanobacterium Gloeocapsa PCC 73106 and sequestration of CO2 by microbially induced
Tingting Zhu1, Mohamed L Merroun2, George Arhonditsis3
1Biogeochemistry Laboratory, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Abstract:
Cyanobacterial carbonate precipitation induced by cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) enhances mortar durability. The percentage of cell/EPS attachment regulates the effectiveness of the mortar restoration. This study investigates the cell coverage on mortar and microbially induced carbonate precipitation. Statistical analysis of results from scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy shows that the cell coverage was higher in the presence of UV-killed cells than living cells. Cells are preferably attached to cement paste than sand grains, with a difference of one order of magnitude. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses and Raman mapping suggest cyanobacteria used atmospheric CO2 to precipitate carbonates.
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