Comparative Analysis of Microbiological and Enzymatic Methods for Strengthening Sandy and Weathered Soils to Mitigate Degradation and Desertification

Dauletkul M. Tungushbayeva Z. Kydyrbaeva A. Kulzhanova D. Bukharbayeva Z.
2025 Hashemite University

Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences
2025 #18 Issue 2 211 - 220 pp.

Soil degradation and desertification represent significant environmental challenges, particularly in arid regions such as Kazakhstan. This research examines the potential of biological soil consolidation techniques to address these issues by enhancing soil strength. The objective of this study was to undertake a comparative analysis of two contemporary methods of calcium carbonate precipitation for the purpose of soil strengthening in sandy and weathered soils: microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation and enzymatically induced calcium carbonate precipitation. Both methods are based on the precipitation of calcium carbonate, which is intended to enhance soil stability. The study was conducted on sandy soil samples collected from the vicinity of Aktau, Kazakhstan. The enzymatic precipitation method employed the use of urease, whereas the microbial approach involved the utilisation of Sporosarcina Pasteurii and bacterial isolates derived from the test site soil. Over the course of a 12-day experiment, the mechanical stability of the samples was assessed under vertical and horizontal loads. The findings demonstrate that both methods enhanced soil strength, with microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation exhibiting greater efficacy, augmenting biocement stability by 2.5-3 times in comparison to the control, and enzymatically induced calcium carbonate precipitation yielding a 1.5-2 times improvement. The microbial method demonstrated a clear correlation between urease activity, calcium carbonate deposition, and mechanical resistance. The efficiency of soil-isolated bacterial strains was found to be comparable to that of the reference strain, indicating the potential for practical application. The results, validated in both laboratory and field conditions, indicate that these methods can be scaled for wider use in mitigating soil degradation and desertification.

biocement , biological consolidation , calcium carbonate deposition , enzymatic deposition , microbially induced deposition

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Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Department of Biology, 13 Dostyk Ave., Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Department of Molecular Biology and Medical Genetics, 94 Tole bi Str., Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan

Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University
Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University

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