Abstract:
The immobilization of heavy metals using microbes presents an environmentally friendly approach, utilizing local indigenous microbes for remediating heavy metal-contaminated soils and improving soil environmental quality. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), particularly through urea hydrolysis, is a typical biomineralization process in nature that has gained considerable attention.
Sporosarcina pasteurii, a popular indigenous urease-producing bacterium, is especially effective in hydrolyzing urea. This study examines the effects of calcium ion (Ca
2+) addition, cadmium ion (Cd
2+) concentration, and curing time on the characteristics of cadmium-contaminated soil solidified by acclimatized
Sporosarcina pasteurii. Various tests, including toxicity leaching, unconfined compressive strength, soil column leaching, cadmium speciation analysis, and microanalysis, were conducted to evaluate these effects. The results indicate that Ca
2+ significantly affects the leaching behavior of Cd
2+ in the contaminated soil after solidification. Without Ca
2+, the lowest Cd
2+ leaching concentration (0.42–5.64 mg·L
‒1) was observed at a urea concentration of 0.5 mol·L
‒1. When Ca
2+ was added, the Cd
2+ leaching concentration slightly increased, but optimal solidification efficiency was achieved when urea and Ca
2+ concentrations were 0.5 mol·L
‒1. As curing time increased, the compressive strength of the solidified soil also improved, while Cd
2+ leaching concentration decreased. The presence of Ca
2+ further enhanced soil solidification over time. Higher Cd
2+concentrations led to reduced compressive strength and increased leaching concentration. However, the addition of Ca
2+ enhanced the solidification effect on cadmium-contaminated soil. At a curing time of 28 d, for a Cd
2+ concentration of 100 mg·kg
‒1, the unconfined compressive strength of samples with Ca
2+ reached 312 kPa, a 33.3% increase compared to 234 kPa without Ca
2+. For a Cd
2+ concentration of
1600 mg·kg
‒1, the unconfined compressive strength with Ca
2+ reached 269 kPa, representing a 57.3% increase compared to samples without Ca
2+, and the leaching concentration decreased by 15.4%. After leaching tests over 15 days using a geoenvironmental osmosis system revealed that the Cd
2+ concentration in the leachate from samples with Ca
2+ remained consistently lower than those without Ca
2+. After solidification, weak acid-extracted cadmium in the contaminated soil transformed into reducible and residual forms. The addition of Ca
2+ further reduced the proportion of weak acid-extractable cadmium, thereby reducing Cd
2+ mobility. The calcium carbonate generated by the MICP reaction cements adjacent soil particles, thereby improving overall soil stability. Cadmium ions in the contaminated soil are immobilized by calcium carbonate through coprecipitation, forming stable compounds that reduce Cd
2+ migration and bioavailability. This effectively alleviates soil heavy metal pollution. Overall, the results of this study will offer significant theoretical insight and technical innovations, holding profound implications for ecosystems, society, and the economy.