Open AccessBiomineralization of carbonate and phosphate by moderately halophilic bacteria
Author(s) -
SánchezRomán Mónica,
Rivadeneyra Maria A.,
Vasconcelos Crisogono,
McKenzie Judith A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2007.00336.x
Subject(s) - struvite , calcite , biomineralization , carbonate , phosphate , carbonate minerals , calcium carbonate , phosphate minerals , precipitation , mineralogy , environmental chemistry , biology , chemical engineering , geology , chemistry , biochemistry , paleontology , physics , organic chemistry , meteorology , engineering
We investigated the precipitation of carbonate and phosphate minerals by 19 species of moderately halophilic bacteria using media with variable Mg 2+ /Ca 2+ ratios. The precipitated minerals were calcite, magnesium (Mg) calcite, and struvite (MgNH 4 PO 4 ·6H 2 O) in variable proportions depending on the Mg 2+ /Ca 2+ ratio of the medium. The Mg content of the Mg‐calcite decreased with increasing Ca 2+ concentration in the medium. According to the saturation indices, other minerals could also have precipitated. We observed important differences between the morphology of carbonate and phosphate, which may help us to recognize these minerals in natural systems. We studied the growth and pH curves of four bacteria in media specific for carbonate and struvite precipitation. We consider the biomineralization processes that produce carbonate and phosphate minerals, and propose a hypothesis for the lack of struvite in natural environments and ancient rocks.