Volume 19 Issue 2
May  2026
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Article Navigation >  Water Science and Engineering  > 2026  >  19(2): 280-290
Wan-qi Li, Ying-hua Li, Chao-qun Zhu, Kun Wang, Xin Guo, Ming-chuan Zhang. 2026: Mechanisms of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation for simultaneous immobilization of lead—chromium composite contaminants in water. Water Science and Engineering, 19(2): 280-290. doi: 10.1016/j.wse.2026.03.004
Citation: Wan-qi Li, Ying-hua Li, Chao-qun Zhu, Kun Wang, Xin Guo, Ming-chuan Zhang. 2026: Mechanisms of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation for simultaneous immobilization of lead—chromium composite contaminants in water. Water Science and Engineering, 19(2): 280-290. doi: 10.1016/j.wse.2026.03.004
shu

Mechanisms of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation for simultaneous immobilization of lead—chromium composite contaminants in water

doi: 10.1016/j.wse.2026.03.004

  • School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China

Funds:

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52570147).

  • Received Date: 2025-10-01
  • Accepted Date: 2026-03-12
    • Available Online: 2026-05-30
    Abstract
  • Heavy metal contamination poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health. This study comprehensively investigated the mechanisms involved in the simultaneous removal of lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) composite contaminants using microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology. The optimal growth conditions for Sporosarcina pasteurii were determined as follows: a urea concentration of 0.5 mol/L, a Ca2+ concentration of 20 mmol/L, pH of 8, temperature of 30°C, and a carbon source concentration of 10 g/L. Under these specified conditions, MICP achieved synergistic removal efficiencies exceeding 98.98% for Pb(II) and 82.48% for Cr(VI) in the composite contamination system. Analyses utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy—energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that Pb(II) was primarily immobilized through carbonate precipitation and mineralization, whereas Cr(VI) followed a dual pathway involving biological reduction and carbonate co-precipitation. Specifically, Cr(VI) was initially reduced to less toxic Cr(III) on the bacterial surface, which subsequently reacted with carbonate ions to form insoluble (Cr,Ca)CO3 compounds. This study provides a sustainable biomineralization strategy for the remediation of heavy metal composite pollutants.

     

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