Building materials can be exposed to microorganisms (mainly bacteria, fungi and algae) in almost every aqueous medium or damp environment, water being the indispensable condition for life development. The activity of microorganisms can be responsible for mineralogical, chemical and microstructural damage to the material (biodeterioration). Deleterious effects can also concern the aesthetics of a building (proliferation of colored biological stains on facades and roofs) or the quality of indoor air (presence of microorganisms in damp buildings). However, microorganisms can also have positive effects (healing of materials) and their action is explored through the development of bio-based protective systems intended for building materials. In all cases, understanding interactions between building materials and microorganisms is an indispensable step toward the development of more sustainable, better quality, safer structures in many environments. This paper presents two examples where the action of microorganisms has—or is likely to have—strong impact on the durability and safety of concrete structures. The first example concerns the biodeterioration of concrete in agricultural and agro-food environments. The second example is that of the abiotic and biotic reactivity of nitrates in repository of intermediate-level long-lived nuclear wastes. The paper presents the approaches used to explore and understand the phenomenology of bio-geo-chemical interactions in these complex environments. These studies notably comprise the development of test methods and experimental pilots to enable these explorations to be carried out. Current shortcomings in the scientific literature and in the standardization environment are also highlighted.

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Understanding interactions between cementitious materials and microorganisms: a key to sustainable and safe concrete structures in various contexts

Bacterial respiration of nitrate is a natural process of nitrate reduction, which has been industrialized to treat anthropic nitrate pollution. This process, also known as “microbial denitrification”, is widely documented from the fundamental and engineering points of view for the enhancement of the removal of nitrate in wastewater. For this purpose, experiments are generally conducted with heterotrophic microbial metabolism, neutral pH and moderate nitrate concentrations (<50 mM). The present review focuses on a different approach as it aims to understand the effects of hydrogenotrophy, alkaline pH and high nitrate concentration on microbial denitrification. Hydrogen has a high energy content but its low solubility, 0.74 mM (1 atm, 30 °C), in aqueous medium limits its bioavailability, putting it at a kinetic disadvantage compared to more soluble organic compounds. For most bacteria, the optimal pH varies between 7.5 and 9.5. Outside this range, denitrification is slowed down and nitrite (NO2−) accumulates. Some alkaliphilic bacteria are able to express denitrifying activity at pH levels close to 12 thanks to specific adaptation and resistance mechanisms detailed in this manuscript, and some bacterial populations support nitrate concentrations in the range of several hundred mM to 1 M. A high concentration of nitrate generally leads to an accumulation of nitrite. Nitrite accumulation can inhibit bacterial activity and may be a cause of cell death.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/20/20/5163/pdf

V. Barsotti

Papers

Biogeochemical processes in a clay formation in situ experiment: Part D - Microbial analyses - Synthesis of results