Microbiologically influenced corrosion

Corrosion is generally thought of as a chemical process – so what have bacteria got to do with it? NCIMB’s Energy and Environmental Microbiology Services Manger, Michelle Robertson, gives an introduction to Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion and some methods used for monitoring the organisms involved. Microorganisms are ubiquitous, occurring in all kinds of environments and they can quickly colonise the surfaces of man made structures, forming biofilms. Biofilms can be highly complex communities of different species with the early colonizers creating the conditions that allow others to follow, but the composition …