Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICCP) is a naturally occurring biological process in which bacteria promote the production of calcium carbonate, from microscopic crystals to large geological formations. This technology has been extensively explored in various environmentally friendly applications, such as the biorestoration of limestone monuments and can help to reduce the consequences of climate change through atmospheric fixation of CO2, the main contributor of greenhouse gases. Thus, the application of this technology can counteract the ever-increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and the extreme acceleration of the degradation of stone artworks due to global warming and increasing environmental pollution. However, while biomineralization is a common phenomenon among bacteria, not all microbes are suitable for such an application, due to their slow growth rate and low conversion efficiency and because many of them not only precipitate but also dissolve calcium carbonate. Consequently, we characterized a collection of bacteria isolated from several Cultural Heritage artworks, mainly from limestone highly degraded by atmospheric factors. We selected the most suitable bacterial strains by analyzing their ability to precipitate calcium carbonate crystals, studying the amount of precipitation in different media and conditions. In fact, biomineralized carbonate can also be useful in a wide range of applications such as sand consolidation, filling of pores and cracks by reducing water permeability in concrete, cement mortar restoration, increased strength of bricks. Our work is focused on carbonatogenic bacteria isolated from artworks to establish a workflow for in situ biorestoration applied on different calcareous materials, such as mortars and different limestones. This process involves the formation of crystals of calcium carbonate and has the potential to store large quantities of CO2 and can be applied in different context using the MICCP for several applications, seeking also to counteract climate change effects.
Applications of the microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation / Benedetti, Francesca; Kratter, Matilde; Atanasio, Pierfrancesco; Mura, Francesco; Trippetta, Fabio; Ronca, Sara; Brandano, Marco; Rossi, Marco; Russina, Olga; Rinaldi, Teresa. - (2023). (Intervento presentato al convegno XXI INQUA Congress 2023 tenutosi a Italy, Rome).
Applications of the microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation.
Francesca Benedetti;Matilde Kratter;Pierfrancesco Atanasio;Francesco Mura;Fabio Trippetta;Sara Ronca;Marco Brandano;Marco Rossi;Olga Russina;Teresa Rinaldi
2023
Abstract
Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICCP) is a naturally occurring biological process in which bacteria promote the production of calcium carbonate, from microscopic crystals to large geological formations. This technology has been extensively explored in various environmentally friendly applications, such as the biorestoration of limestone monuments and can help to reduce the consequences of climate change through atmospheric fixation of CO2, the main contributor of greenhouse gases. Thus, the application of this technology can counteract the ever-increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and the extreme acceleration of the degradation of stone artworks due to global warming and increasing environmental pollution. However, while biomineralization is a common phenomenon among bacteria, not all microbes are suitable for such an application, due to their slow growth rate and low conversion efficiency and because many of them not only precipitate but also dissolve calcium carbonate. Consequently, we characterized a collection of bacteria isolated from several Cultural Heritage artworks, mainly from limestone highly degraded by atmospheric factors. We selected the most suitable bacterial strains by analyzing their ability to precipitate calcium carbonate crystals, studying the amount of precipitation in different media and conditions. In fact, biomineralized carbonate can also be useful in a wide range of applications such as sand consolidation, filling of pores and cracks by reducing water permeability in concrete, cement mortar restoration, increased strength of bricks. Our work is focused on carbonatogenic bacteria isolated from artworks to establish a workflow for in situ biorestoration applied on different calcareous materials, such as mortars and different limestones. This process involves the formation of crystals of calcium carbonate and has the potential to store large quantities of CO2 and can be applied in different context using the MICCP for several applications, seeking also to counteract climate change effects.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
