Microbial Community Profiling of Concrete

TL;DR

This study explores how microbes in concrete could help with recycling and self-repair, offering a sustainable solution to concrete's environmental issues.

Contribution

The novelty lies in identifying diverse microbial communities in concrete with potential for biodegradation and biogenic mineral formation.

Findings

Concrete hosts diverse microbial taxa adapted to extreme conditions.

Some microbes produce acid and sulphate, while others aid in biomineralization for crack repair.

These findings suggest potential for using microbes in sustainable concrete recycling and healing.

Abstract

Concrete is the most widely used construction material worldwide, yet its production and disposal pose significant environmental challenges due to high carbon emissions and limited recyclability. While microbial colonization of concrete is often associated with structural deterioration, recent research has highlighted the potential of microorganisms to contribute positively to concrete recycling and self-healing. In this study, we investigated the bacterial and fungal communities inhabiting urban concrete samples using amplicon-based taxonomic profiling targeting the 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Our analyses revealed a diverse assemblage of microbial taxa capable of surviving the extreme physicochemical conditions of concrete. Several taxa were associated with known metabolic functions relevant to concrete degradation, such as acid and sulphate production, as well as biomineralization processes that may support crack repair and surface sealing. These findings suggest that concrete-associated microbiomes may serve as a reservoir of biological functions with potential applications in sustainable construction, including targeted biodegradation for recycling and biogenic mineral formation for structural healing. This work provides a foundation for developing microbial solutions to reduce the environmental footprint of concrete infrastructure.

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