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Title: Metabolism-Induced CaCO 3 Biomineralization During Reactive Transport in a Micromodel: Implications for Porosity Alteration

Abstract

We investigated the ability of Pseudomonas stutzeri strain DCP-Ps1 to drive CaCO3 biomineralization in a microfluidic flowcell (i.e., micromodel) that simulates subsurface porous media. Results indicate that CaCO3 precipitation occurs during NO3 reduction with a maximum saturation index (SIcalcite) of ~1.56, but not when NO3 was removed, inactive biomass remained, and pH and alkalinity were adjusted to SIcalcite ~ 1.56. CaCO3 precipitation was promoted by metabolically active cultures of strain DCP-Ps1, which at similar values of SIcalcite, have a more negative surface charge than inactive strain DCP-Ps1. A two-stage NO3 reduction (NO3 → NO2 → N2) pore-scale reactive transport model was used to evaluate denitrification kinetics, which was observed in the micromodel as upper (NO3 reduction) and lower (NO2 reduction) horizontal zones of biomass growth with CaCO3 precipitation exclusively in the lower zone. Our model results are consistent with two biomass growth regions and indicate that precipitation occurred in the lower zone because the largest increase in pH and alkalinity is associated with NO2 reduction. CaCO3 precipitates typically occupied the entire vertical depth of pores and impacted porosity, permeability, and flow. This study provides a framework for incorporating microbial activity in biogeochemistry models, which often base biomineralization only on SImore » (caused by biotic or abiotic reactions) and, thereby, underpredict the extent of this complex process. Furthermore, these results have wide-ranging implications for understanding reactive transport in relevance to groundwater remediation, CO2 sequestration, and enhanced oil recovery.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [3];  [4]
  1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States). Civil and Environmental Engineering and Inst. for Genomic Biology
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Geoscience Research and Applications
  3. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States). Inst. for Genomic Biology and Dept. of Geology
  4. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security (CFSES); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Geologic Storage of CO2 (GSCO2)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1338390
Report Number(s):
SAND2016-12592J
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X; 649898
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; SC0001114; SC0012504
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Environmental Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 49; Journal Issue: 20; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Citation Formats

Singh, Rajveer, Yoon, Hongkyu, Sanford, Robert A., Katz, Lynn, Fouke, Bruce W., and Werth, Charles J. Metabolism-Induced CaCO 3 Biomineralization During Reactive Transport in a Micromodel: Implications for Porosity Alteration. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b00152.
Singh, Rajveer, Yoon, Hongkyu, Sanford, Robert A., Katz, Lynn, Fouke, Bruce W., & Werth, Charles J. Metabolism-Induced CaCO 3 Biomineralization During Reactive Transport in a Micromodel: Implications for Porosity Alteration. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b00152
Singh, Rajveer, Yoon, Hongkyu, Sanford, Robert A., Katz, Lynn, Fouke, Bruce W., and Werth, Charles J. 2015. "Metabolism-Induced CaCO 3 Biomineralization During Reactive Transport in a Micromodel: Implications for Porosity Alteration". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b00152. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1338390.
@article{osti_1338390,
title = {Metabolism-Induced CaCO 3 Biomineralization During Reactive Transport in a Micromodel: Implications for Porosity Alteration},
author = {Singh, Rajveer and Yoon, Hongkyu and Sanford, Robert A. and Katz, Lynn and Fouke, Bruce W. and Werth, Charles J.},
abstractNote = {We investigated the ability of Pseudomonas stutzeri strain DCP-Ps1 to drive CaCO3 biomineralization in a microfluidic flowcell (i.e., micromodel) that simulates subsurface porous media. Results indicate that CaCO3 precipitation occurs during NO3– reduction with a maximum saturation index (SIcalcite) of ~1.56, but not when NO3– was removed, inactive biomass remained, and pH and alkalinity were adjusted to SIcalcite ~ 1.56. CaCO3 precipitation was promoted by metabolically active cultures of strain DCP-Ps1, which at similar values of SIcalcite, have a more negative surface charge than inactive strain DCP-Ps1. A two-stage NO3– reduction (NO3– → NO2– → N2) pore-scale reactive transport model was used to evaluate denitrification kinetics, which was observed in the micromodel as upper (NO3– reduction) and lower (NO2– reduction) horizontal zones of biomass growth with CaCO3 precipitation exclusively in the lower zone. Our model results are consistent with two biomass growth regions and indicate that precipitation occurred in the lower zone because the largest increase in pH and alkalinity is associated with NO2– reduction. CaCO3 precipitates typically occupied the entire vertical depth of pores and impacted porosity, permeability, and flow. This study provides a framework for incorporating microbial activity in biogeochemistry models, which often base biomineralization only on SI (caused by biotic or abiotic reactions) and, thereby, underpredict the extent of this complex process. Furthermore, these results have wide-ranging implications for understanding reactive transport in relevance to groundwater remediation, CO2 sequestration, and enhanced oil recovery.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5b00152},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1338390}, journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
issn = {0013-936X},
number = 20,
volume = 49,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Sep 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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