Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation Treatment for the Removal of Cd Toxicity
摘要
Heavy metal pollution is one of the major environmental issues brought on by the growth of mining and smelting operations, the overuse of chemical pesticides, and the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer. Unable to be broken down by nature, heavy metals damage ecosystems and eventually find their way up the food chain into human bodies, where they can cause health problems. Improper waste management and handling have become a serious issue in the current times. High exposure to heavy metals like Cd can cause diseases like itai-itai that can be fatal for humans. Cadmium metal finds its way through the food chain only after its toxicity is not fatal for the aquatic ecosystem. Bioremediation using microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) has emerged as a pioneering technique for heavy metal remediation. This study investigates the application of the MICP technique to mineralize cadmium (Cd) and mitigate its hazardous effects. Thus, a sustainable and eco-friendly approach for its immobilization and removal into insoluble form would greatly benefit the aquatic ecosystem and humans alike. MICP using Bacillus subtilis was studied for this research work. The results showed more than 69% removal after the treatment for 24 h, going up to 86% for the 72-h treatment cycle for 2500 mg/L of Cd concentration. The toxicity of cadmium at different concentrations over the selected bacteria was studied to understand the effect of toxicity on the bacteria. The samples from the batch experiment were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to find the removal percentage of cadmium by bioprecipitation. Further, the precipitated samples were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the microstructure of formed calcite crystals. Altogether MICP had a positive effect on the stabilization of Cd and a good response to the removal and extraction of Cd in a contaminated environment.