Microbially induced carbonate precipitation: a review

Abstract:

Microbially induced carbonate formation has attracted much attention in the field of geomicrobiology. Microorganisms have been demonstrated to be effective agents to produce polymorphy carbonate minerals by enhancing pH and CO32? concentration, both of which are the essential factors controlling the saturation index of carbonate minerals. Furthermore, microorganisms themselves and the secreted extracellular polymeric substances can also facilitate carbonate precipitation via serving as nucleation sites for mineral growth. Compared with abiotic carbonate minerals, microbially induced carbonate exhibits special properties on mineral morphology, trace elements content and carbon isotope composition. Understanding of microbially induced carbonate and their special signatures is of unequivocal significance to probe the microbial activities throughout the earth history and provide application to geologic CO2 sequestration. Here we reviewed the latest progress on microbially induced carbonate precipitation, the related microbe metabolism processes and, the differences between biogenic and chemogenic carbonate, possible application of microbially induced carbonate on microbialite and CO2 sequestration were discussed finally.