Mechanisms involved in calcium carbonate precipitation by marine microorganisms
Abstract
Marine bacteria are known to deposit calcium carbonate (CaCO3) extracellularly in calcium-containing artificial medium. Despite extensive investigation, the mechanisms involved in extracellular formation of CaCO3by bacteria have remained unclear. The ability of synthetic amines to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from natural gas led us to examine the role of biogenic polyamines in CaCO3 deposition by bacteria.Here, we demonstrated that biogenic polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine were able to react with atmospheric CO2 and the resultant carbamate anion was characterized by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. Biogenic polyamines accelerated the formation of CaCO3, and we artificially synthesized the dumbbell-shaped calcites, which had the same form as observed with bacterial CaCO3 precipitates, under nonbacterial conditions by using polyamines. The reaction rate of calcification increased with temperature with an optimum of around 40°C.Our observation suggests a novel scheme for CO2 dissipation that could be a potential tool in reducing atmospheric CO2 levels and, therefore, global warming.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMPP41C1557M
- Keywords:
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- 1039 Alteration and weathering processes;
- GEOCHEMISTRY;
- 1051 Sedimentary geochemistry;
- GEOCHEMISTRY;
- 4217 Coastal processes;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL;
- 4912 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- PALEOCEANOGRAPHY