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Updated: May 16, 2025

Microbiologically Induced Calcite Precipitation Mediated by Sporosarcina pasteurii
Published on: April 16, 2016
Plant-derived urease-induced calcium carbonate precipitation for solidifying limestone dust: Preparation,
Han Tao1, Yuanfu Zhou2, Jianhui Deng3
1School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China.
Abstract:
Dust pollution from open-pit limestone mines poses a significant challenge to ecological systems and human health, hindering the advancement of green mining and sustainable practices. In contrast to conventional dust-suppression techniques-such as water spraying and the use of chemical or microbial suppressants-enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) technology leverages plant-derived urease to produce biological dust suppressants, reducing potential environmental harm. This study evaluates the solidification performance of biological dust suppressants prepared with different calcium sources-calcium chloride (CaCl2), calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2), and calcium acetate (Ca(CH3COO)2)-through both macroscopic and microscopic analyses. The findings demonstrate significant advantages of EICP technology in terms of dust-suppression efficiency, environmental impact, and cost-effectiveness. All three biological dust suppressants maintain mildly alkaline pH values, with their calcium-source reactivity in aqueous solutions following the order: Ca(NO3)2 > CaCl2 > Ca(CH₃COO)₂. Each suppressant significantly promotes calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation, with dust suppression efficiency ranked as follows: Ca(NO3)2 > Ca(CH3COO)2 > CaCl2. The Ca(NO3)2-based suppressant demonstrates maximum dust-suppression efficiencies of 94.28 % and 57.18 % at the lowest and highest wind speeds, respectively. The mineralized product mainly consists of uniformly distributed calcite-type CaCO₃, which improves structural stability by filling voids, bonding particles, and forming interconnections. Compared to traditional water and chemical suppressants, these biological dust suppressants offer cost reductions of 42.30-50.80 % and 3.30-12.40 %, respectively. Furthermore, the Ca(CH3COO)2-based suppressant exhibits the lowest corrosiveness, with a 96-h corrosion rate of 0.020 mm/a. Overall, this study highlights the economic viability, environmental compatibility, and sustainability of plant-derived urease-induced CaCO₃ precipitation technology as a promising approach to mitigating limestone dust pollution.
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