Microorganism Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) has emerged as an efficacious approach to address the issue of cadmium (Cd) contamination in water bodies. However, the associated production of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) poses a significant challenge to the MICP. To tackle this, our research has developed a novel bacterium (UN-1), with dual MICP and NH4+-N degradation capabilities. We have elucidated the biogeochemical pathways of Cd2+ precipitation and NH4+-N degradation, characterized the micromorphology, phase composition, and crystallization of the MICP products, and identified the key factors influencing the MICP reaction. Our findings indicate that The UN-1-mediated MICP effectively removes Cd2+ at concentrations below 20 mg/L, reducing NH4+-N levels to 50 mg/L within 120 h. The predominant strains in UN-1 are Sporosarcina (24.35 %), Bacillus (31.36 %), Tumebacillus (6.89 %), Nitrospira (11.09 %), and Alkaliphilus (8.16 %). The bacterium employs urea enzymes UreA, UreB, and UreC for urea hydrolysis, thereby facilitating carbonate production, while the degradation of NH4+-N is mediated by hydroxylamine oxidase (HAO), nitrite reductase (NIR), and nitrate reductase (NAR). The resultant MICP products after Cd2+ removal are irregular spherical minerals, 200–300 nm in diameter, exhibiting well-developed single-crystal structures and high crystallinity. Their X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) patterns align with the characteristics of cadmium carbonate (CdCO3) minerals. Optimal conditions for the UN-1-led MICP reaction are identified as a pH range of 5.0 to 9.0 and a temperature range of 20 to 40 °C, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the water does not significantly impact the MICP. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that NH4+-N concentrations can be maintained at low levels under most conditions. This research introduces an innovative solution to the NH4+-N by-product challenge during Cd removal via MICP, laying a solid theoretical foundation for the development of a rapid, efficient, and eco-friendly remediation technology for Cd-contaminated waters.
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