Precipitation of carbonates byBacillussp. isolated from saline soils

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Abstract
We studied carbonate precipitation by 26 moderately halophilic strains of Bacillus isolated from a saline soil, haplic Solonchac. They were cultured in both solid and liquid media with salt concentrations varying between 2.5% and 20% (w/v). Bacillus sp. formed mineral crystals in all the media tested, although the mineral precipitation diminished as salinity increased. The minerals that were precipitated included magnesium calcite, aragonite, monohydrocalcite, and dolomite, in varying proportions depending upon the growth medium used. We studied the morphology of the bioliths by means of scanning electron microscopy. We compared our results with those obtained using other taxonomic groups of moderately halophilic bacteria. We discuss possible mechanisms for formation of these biominerals and the probability of their formation in natural habitats.