Biomineralization for Reducing and Controlling Sand-Dust Storms.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Sand-dust weather and storms pose significant global environmental challenges.
• Effective desert sand solidification technologies are crucial for mitigation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of biomineralization technology for solidifying desert sands.
• To assess the impact of biomineralization on soil reinforcement and water storage.
• To investigate the role of biomineralization in preventing sand-dust storms.

Main Methods:

• Field tests were conducted at the Wuma Highway solidification section in the Tengger Desert.
• Water storage capacity was measured across different reinforcement zones (bare sand, plant, biomineralization, combined).
• Molecular dynamics calculations were employed to analyze the sand solidification mechanism.

Main Results:

• Biomineralization significantly improved water storage capacity compared to bare sand and plant zones.
• The combined biomineralization and plant approach showed superior results.
• Molecular dynamics analysis supported the effectiveness of biomineralization in preventing sand-dust storms.

Conclusions:

• Biomineralization is a highly effective method for solidifying desert sands.
• This technology offers a promising solution for controlling sand-dust weather and mitigating desertification.
• The findings support the application of biomineralization in ecological restoration and environmental protection.