Biocorrosion of Mild Steel in Culture of Aerobic Bacteria

The biocorrosion of mild steel in a culture of aerobic bacteria (Pseudomonas sp.) has been investigated under laboratory conditions. Freshwater samples were collected and subjected to physicochemical and bacteriological analysis in which Pseudomonas sp were cultured using the serial dilution method and used for the study. Selected physicochemical and bacteriological properties including temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), and total bacterial count (TBC) were monitored throughout the period of the experiment, which lasted for a total of 5760 hours. The corrosion rate of mild steel, determined using the conventional weight-loss method, showed that the average corrosion rate of mild steel in the culture of Pseudomonas sp. was approximately 73% higher than that without inoculum. This result establishes that microbial activities undoubtedly promote corrosion in an environment where they are predominant.