Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigations on the Effects of Microorganisms on Coarse Grained Soil

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Contemporary Issues in Geoenvironmental Engineering (GeoMEast 2017)

Part of the book series: Sustainable Civil Infrastructures ((SUCI))

Abstract

The association of soil and microorganisms is known to be existent since the formation of earth. However, conventional geotechnical engineering practices has only considered mechanical loading on the soil without taking into account of the biological aspects that might be associated. Keeping this in view, the present research was designed to study the impact of biological loading on the geo-material. Bacterium Proteus vulgaris was inoculated and incubated with two coarse grained soil samples namely, standard sand and aeolian sand and the effects of bacteria on soil samples were observed. Also, efforts were made to develop a protocol that could be used to establish bio-geo interface in coarse-grained geo-materials. However, long term and in-depth study is essential in this aspect to have a clear and broader image of the interaction, which could have prospective application in geo-technical engineering.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Katsuji, W., Susumu, A., Koichi, H.: Evaluation of extracellular protease activities of soil bacteria. Soil Biol. Biochem. 26, 479–482 (1994). doi:10.1016/0038-0717(94)90180-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kowalchuk, G.A., Buma, D.S., de Boer, W., Klinkhamer, P.G., van Veen, J.A.: Effects of above-ground plant species composition and diversity on the diversity of soil-borne microorganisms. A. Van. Leeuw. J. Microb. 81, 509–520 (2002). doi:10.1023/A:1020565523615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Shreedhar, S., Devasya, R.P., Naregundi, K., Young, C.C., Bhagwath, A.A.: Phosphate solubilizing uranium tolerant bacteria associated with monazite sand of a natural background radiation site in South-West coast of India. Ann. Microbiol. 64, 1683–1689 (2014). doi:10.1007/s13213-014-0812-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gadd, G.M.: Metals, minerals and microbes: geomicrobiology and bioremediation. Microbiology 156, 609–643 (2010). doi:10.1099/mic.0.037143-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Mitchell, J.K., Santamarina, J.C.: Biological considerations in geotechnical engineering. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. 131, 1222–1233 (2005). doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2005)131:10(1222)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Morgan, P., Atlas, R.M.: Hydrocarbon degradation in soils and methods for soil biotreatment. Crit. Rev. Biotechnol. 8, 305–333 (1989). doi:10.3109/07388558909148196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Shashank, B.S., Sharma, S., Sowmya, S., Latha, R.A., Meenu, P.S., Singh, D.N.: State-of-the-art on geotechnical engineering perspective on bio-mediated processes. Environ. Earth Sci. 75, 1–16 (2016). doi:10.1007/s12665-015-5071-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kanmani, S., Gandhimathi, R., Muthukkumaran, K.: Bioclogging in porous media: influence in reduction of hydraulic conductivity and organic contaminants during synthetic leachate permeation. J. Environ. Health Sci. Eng. 12, 1–11 (2014). doi:10.1186/s40201-014-0126-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Dennis, M.L., Turner, J.P.: Hydraulic conductivity of compacted soil treated with biofilm. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. 124, 120–127 (1998). doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1998)124:2(120)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Dupraz, C., Reid, R.P., Braissant, O., Decho, A.W., Norman, R.S., Visscher, P.T.: Processes of carbonate precipitation in modern microbial mats. Earth Sci. Rev. 96, 141–162 (2009). doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.10.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. De Muynck, W., De Belie, N., Verstraete, W.: Microbial carbonate precipitation in construction materials: a review. Ecol. Eng. 36, 118–136 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2009.02.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. DeJong, J.T., Fritzges, M.B., Nüsslein, K.: Microbially induced cementation to control sand response to undrained shear. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. 132, 1381–1392 (2006). doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2006)132:11(1382)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. DeJong, J.T., Mortensen, B.M., Martinez, B.C., Nelson, D.C.: Bio-mediated soil improvement. Ecol. Eng. 36, 197–210 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2008.12.029

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Jonkers, H.M., Thijssen, A., Muyzer, G., Copuroglu, O., Schlangen, E.: Application of bacteria as self-healing agent for the development of sustainable concrete. Ecol. Eng. 36, 230–235 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2008.12.036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Lambert, J.W.M., Novakowski, K., Blauw, M., Latil, M.N., Knight, L., Bayona, L.: Pamper bacteria, they will help us: application of biochemical mechanisms in geo-environmental engineering. In: GeoFlorida 2010: Advances in Analysis, Modeling & Design, pp. 618–627 (2010). doi:10.1061/41095(365)59

  16. ASTM D5550-14. Standard Test Method for Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by Gas Pycnometer, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Sharma, S., Meenu, P.S., Latha, R.A., Shashank, B.S., Singh, D.N.: Characterization of sediments from the sewage disposal lagoons for sustainable development. Adv. Civ. Eng. Mater. 5, 1–23 (2016). doi:10.1520/ACEM20150010

    Google Scholar 

  18. Koshy, N., Jha, B., Kadali, S., Singh, D.N.: Synthesis and characterization of Ca and Na zeolites (non-pozzolanic materials) obtained from fly Ash–Ca(OH)2 interaction. Mater. Perfor. Character. 4, 87–102 (2015). doi:10.1520/MPC20140053

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Kiran Kondabagil and Dr. Prashant Phale, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, India for providing the lab facilities and their valuable suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India

    S. Sowmya, R. Asha Latha, P. S. Meenu & D. N. Singh

Authors
  1. S. Sowmya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Asha Latha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. S. Meenu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. N. Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Sowmya .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Bombay, India

    D N Singh

  2. Housing and Building National Research Center, Giza, Egypt

    Abdullah Galaa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this paper

Cite this paper

Sowmya, S., Latha, R.A., Meenu, P.S., Singh, D.N. (2018). Investigations on the Effects of Microorganisms on Coarse Grained Soil. In: Singh, D., Galaa, A. (eds) Contemporary Issues in Geoenvironmental Engineering. GeoMEast 2017. Sustainable Civil Infrastructures. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61612-4_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation