Biomineralization of Cd2+ and Pb2+ in Wastewater by the Carbonate Mineralized Bacterial Consortium Jz1

Abstract: The contamination of soil and water with heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, is a serious problem. Previous remediation techniques are not effective when these two toxic elements are immobilized. Microbial induced carbonate precipitation has been proven to effectively remove heavy metals. In this study, a consortium designated JZ1 was isolated from soil contaminated with cadmium, and two functional genera (90.6% Sporosarcina and 8.3% Bacillus ) were found to mineralize carbonate. The K m value of urease activity was comparable with that of other studies. The maximum removal rates of Cd2+ and Pb2+ were 93.21% and 99.70%, respectively. X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses showed that CdCO3 and PbCO3 were found in the mineralized products. The kinetic results showed that the mineralization rate increased 1.58-fold as the metabolic activity of the consortium increased. This study will provide future options for the effective remediation of Cd and Pb pollutants in the environment