Potential Improvement of Hydraulic Resistance in Coastal Soils Using Optimized Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP): A Case Study of Kish Island
Keywords:
MICP, Sporosarcina bacteria, calcium carbonate, optimization, central composite designAbstract
In this study, the efficiency of the microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) process using the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii was evaluated for improving the hydro-geochemical properties of the soil of Kish Island with the objective of reducing saline water intrusion from the Persian Gulf. Accordingly, the effects of three independent variables, namely urea concentration, calcium chloride concentration, and reaction time, were optimized with respect to response variables including effluent volume, electrical conductivity, and pH. The optimization results indicated that the minimum effluent volume of 5 mL was obtained at a urea concentration of 0.5 M, a calcium chloride concentration of 0.5 M, and a reaction time of 9 days. In addition, the minimum electrical conductivity value of 69.5 dS/m occurred at a urea concentration of 0.5 M, a calcium chloride concentration of 0.5 M, and a reaction time of 15 days. Finally, the maximum pH value of 7.65 was recorded at a urea concentration of 0.5 M, a calcium chloride concentration of 0.5 M, and a reaction time of 15 days. Based on the findings of this research, the application of Sporosarcina pasteurii for the formation of a biological barrier can be introduced as a promising approach for preventing the advancement of saline water from the Persian Gulf into the soil of Kish Island.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Alireza Zeynali (Author); Somayeh Taheri; Hossein Ali Alikhani, Seyed Saeid Hosseini (Author)
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