Investigating Heterotrophic Nitrifying-Aerobic Denitrifying Bacteria to Improve MICP Sustainability
Investigating Heterotrophic Nitrifying-Aerobic Denitrifying Bacteria to Improve MICP Sustainability
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has garnered substantial research attention as a potentially environmentally friendly alternative to traditional soil grouting techniques, by harnessing the capabilities of indigenous subsurface microbial communities to generate biocementation. However, the toxic levels of ammonium generated during ureolysis must be addressed to improve the sustainability of MICP technologies. Heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying (HNAD) bacteria have been predominantly studied for wastewater treatment applications and are able to efficiently convert ammonium to nitrogen gas. This research investigates a co-culture system, containing Sporosarcina pasteurii and HNAD bacteria, to evaluate the beneficial and inhibitory effects of each species on the rates of ureolysis and ammonium removal. HNAD-capable bacteria have been isolated and ammonium removal established through batch experiments containing independent cultures that will be used to inform co-culture experiments. This preliminary investigation provides insight to an in-situ solution that will reduce the environmental impact of MICP byproduct generation.
Micaela Robson; Amy Grunden; Brina M. Montoya
2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (ICBBG2025)
General session: Bio-mediated methods for environmental protection and restoration
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICBBG2025-23
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