Removal and Mineralisation Characteristics of Heavy Metals Pb(II) and Cd(II) by Carbonate-Mineralising Bacterial Communities

Key Points

• This research aims to assess the mineralization capabilities of bacterial community XT-2 in removing heavy metals Pb(II) and Cd(II).
• Constructed bacterial community XT-2 and evaluated its growth characteristics and tolerance to Pb(II) and Cd(II) concentrations.
• Conducted removal experiments at 30°C and pH 7, measuring metal removal rates after 21 hours.
• Analyzed transformed heavy metals using SEM-EDS, FTIR, and XRD techniques.
• XT-2 achieved a maximum biomass OD600 of 4.175, with Pb(II) and Cd(II) tolerances of 3000 mg/L and 100 mg/L, respectively.
• The removal rates after exposure to 1000 mg/L Pb(II) and 50 mg/L Cd(II) were 99.12% and 95.87%, respectively.
• Transformed Pb(II) and Cd(II) into several crystalline minerals, reducing their toxicity and mobility.