Microbiological study of the anaerobic corrosion of iron

Anaerobic corrosion causes economically significant damages. The industrial branches that suffer from MIC most severely include the nuclear and fuel electric power-generating sectors as well as the oil industry. Despite of numerous investigations of anaerobic corrosion, the underlying mechanisms are insufficiently understood. In the present study, the anaerobic corrosion of iron was investigated in seawater under conditions of sulfate reduction and methanogenesis. Enrichment cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea using metallic iron (Fe) as the only source of electrons were established with marine sediment samples as inocula. Further aspects that were subsequently investigated were the composition of the enriched microbial community, the key organisms involved in corrosion, and mechanistic aspects of the process at the iron surface.