Enzymes boost ‘rock weathering’ to trap CO2 in soi
Mark Peplow
Introduction:
In a quiet field in rural England, enzymes are bringing biotech ingenuity to the battle against climate change. The site in oxfordshire is testing whether spreading an enzyme — carbonic anhydrase — on the field can boost a natural geological process that draws carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and traps it in the ground.
That natural process is called weathering. It occurs because Co2 dissolves in water to form carbonic acid. When that water meets certain types of rocks, the acid gradually breaks down minerals such as silicates. Crucially, these reactions also convert Co2 into bicarbonate and carbonate ions that largely remain in the ground or the ocean, permanently removing the Co2 from the air.
