Comparison of Crude Soybean Urease- and Pure Urease-Induced Carbonate Precipitation on Wind-Induced Erosion Resistance of Desert Sand

Yanbo Chen, Yang Liu (), Yufeng Gao, Yundong Zhou, Bin Liu, Liya Wang, Lei Hang and Shijia Zhang
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Yanbo Chen: Center for Hypergravity Experiment and Interdisciplinary Research, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
Yang Liu: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering, Hohai University, No. 1, Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China
Yufeng Gao: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering, Hohai University, No. 1, Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China
Yundong Zhou: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering, Hohai University, No. 1, Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China
Bin Liu: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering, Hohai University, No. 1, Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China
Liya Wang: Key Laboratory of Roads and Railway Engineering Safety Control, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Ministry of Education, Shijiazhuang 050043, China
Lei Hang: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering, Hohai University, No. 1, Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China
Shijia Zhang: Beijing Engineering Corporation Limited, No. 1, Dingfuzhuang West Street, Beijing 100024, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation has been studied for wind erosion control in arid areas. A comparative study was conducted between the pure urease- and crude soybean urease-induced carbonate precipitation methods with the same enzyme activity for enhancing the wind erosion resistance of desert sand. Tube tests were carried out to monitor the amount of organic matter and CaCO 3 precipitates at different reaction times. Two groups of sand specimens received several cycles of treatment with soybean urease (SU) and pure urease (PU), respectively, with urea or without urea. The treated specimens were exposed to wind-blown sand flow to evaluate erosion resistance. The results showed that SU induced more organic precipitation under the salting-out effect, which was 9.88 times higher than that from PU. Under the one-cycle treatment, SU-treated specimens with higher contents of CaCO 3 and organic matter exhibited lower erosion mass. Under the multiple-cycle treatment, the high viscosity of SU and rapid precipitation of organic matter resulted in the inhomogeneous distribution of CaCO 3 (more precipitation at the top). Once the top of SU-treated specimens was eroded, the sand below the top layer was lost rapidly, causing the erosion mass of PU-treated specimens to be 95% lower than that of SU-treated specimens.

Keywords: crude soybean urease; pure urease; wind erosion resistance; CaCO 3 content; organic matter content (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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