Stimulation of microbial urea hydrolysis in groundwater to enhance calcite precipitation.

Addition of molasses and urea was tested as a means of stimulating microbial urea hydrolysis in the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer in Idaho. Ureolysis is an integral component of a novel remediation approach for divalent trace metal and radionuclide contaminants in groundwater and associated geomedia, where the contaminants are immobilized by coprecipitation in calcite. Generation of carbonate alkalinity from ureolysis promotes calcite precipitation.