Biomineralization of cyanobacteria Synechocystis pevalekii improves the durability properties of cement mortar

• Published in: AMB Express Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 59
• Main Authors: Sidhu, Navneet, Goyal, Shweta, Reddy, M. Sudhakara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 19.05.2022; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Bacteria; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Calcification; Calcium carbonate; Calcium carbonate precipitation; Calcium permeability; Carbon dioxide; Cement; Chemical precipitation; Compressive strength; Curing; Cyanobacteria; Durability; Laboratories; Life Sciences; Low cost; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Mineralization; Mortars (material); Original; Original Article; Permeability; Sand consolidation; Synechocystis; Synechocystis pevalekii; Ureolytic bacteria; Water absorption; Calcium carbonate precipitation; Compressive strength; Water absorption; Mortar; Sand consolidation; Cyanobacteria; Synechocystis pevalekii
• ISSN: 2191-0855; 2191-0855
• DOI: 10.1186/s13568-022-01403-z

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICCP) is considered a novel eco-friendly technique to enhance the structural properties of cementitious-based material. Maximum studies have emphasized using ureolytic bacteria to improve the durability properties of building structures. In this study, the role of photoautotrophic bacteria Synechocystis pevalekii BDHKU 35101 has been investigated for calcium carbonate precipitation in sand consolidation, and enhancing mechanical and permeability properties of cement mortar. Both live and UV-treated S. pevalekii cells were used to treat the mortar specimens, and the results were compared with the control. The compressive strength of mortar specimens was significantly enhanced by 25.54% and 15.84% with live and UV-treated S. pevalekii cells at 28-day of curing. Water absorption levels were significantly reduced in bacterial-treated mortar specimens compared to control at 7 and 28-day curing. Calcium carbonate precipitation was higher in live-treated cells than in UV-treated S. pevalekii cells. Calcium carbonate precipitation by S. pevalekii cells was confirmed with SEM-EDS, XRD, and TGA analysis. These results suggest that S. pevalekii can serve as a low-cost and environment friendly MICCP technology to improve the durability properties of cementitious materials.  Keypoints Cyanobacterial Synechocystis pevalekii cells induced calcification on cement mortar. Both live and UV-treated cells increased the compressive strength and reduced the water absorption. Biomineralization by S. pevalekii serves as a low-cost and eco-friendly MICCP technology.