MiC Europe

Acid Producing Bacteria
APB-BART™

Acid Producing Bacteria corrosion is a major player in the MIC corrosion process. APB are capable of producing organic and inorganic acids as well as producing nutrients for SRB.

In the earlier days of MIC recognition, most of the emphasis was placed on the sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) because of their clear links to the production of hydrogen sulfide, which was well known as the initiator of electrolytic corrosion in steels. The SRB were at first thought to be able to cause corrosion as a single species, possibly growing within a tubercle at the site. It is now recognized that the SRB form a part of a microbial community (referred to sometimes as a "consortium"). Within these consortia, the SRB are able to function deep within the biofilms under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Generally, the biofilms are formed within tubercles, encrustations, and slimes. Since the SRB are deeper down in these growths, they may not be recovered in water samples taken from the flow over the growths. The growth conditions for SRB commonly involve reductive conditions and a supply of acetate, one of the terminal fatty acids commonly produced by microbial fermentation. These fatty acids are the common product of reductive microbial fermentation and can cause the pH of the environment to drop into the acidic range. The fermentative bacteria able to do this are the acid producing bacteria (APB). Essentially, the APB could be viewed as setting up the conditions for increased levels of aggressivity by the SRB, utilizing the fatty acids generated by the APB.

The APB have now been recognized as a possible major cause of corrosion, mainly because their fermentative activities will cause the pH, particularly in the biofilms, to drop into the acid range. Under these conditions, an acid-driven form of corrosion could occur, where the metals begin to dissolve and concrete structures lose integrity. This form of acid-corrosion can be viewed as an initiating, or alternate, event to SRB-initiated electrolytic corrosion. In the last two decades, industry has become more aware of the risks posed by the APB and have come to generally view the creation of acidic pH levels in the environment under reductive conditions to be predominantly driven by the APB. This heightens the corrosion risk to the engineered systems within the affected zone. To detect the APB, an APB-BART has been developed



Evaluation Cleaning Coating Maintenance System Summation Environment MIC Links MIC Testing Privacy Policy Water Testing Foaming unit Central heating systems City water heating lines SRB APB IRB SLYM HAB Technical Specifications Film plugged esfr / aerosol Film endoscoop dry system	Acid Producing Bacteria APB-BART™ Acid Producing Bacteria corrosion is a major player in the MIC corrosion process. APB are capable of producing organic and inorganic acids as well as producing nutrients for SRB. In the earlier days of MIC recognition, most of the emphasis was placed on the sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) because of their clear links to the production of hydrogen sulfide, which was well known as the initiator of electrolytic corrosion in steels. The SRB were at first thought to be able to cause corrosion as a single species, possibly growing within a tubercle at the site. It is now recognized that the SRB form a part of a microbial community (referred to sometimes as a "consortium"). Within these consortia, the SRB are able to function deep within the biofilms under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Generally, the biofilms are formed within tubercles, encrustations, and slimes. Since the SRB are deeper down in these growths, they may not be recovered in water samples taken from the flow over the growths. The growth conditions for SRB commonly involve reductive conditions and a supply of acetate, one of the terminal fatty acids commonly produced by microbial fermentation. These fatty acids are the common product of reductive microbial fermentation and can cause the pH of the environment to drop into the acidic range. The fermentative bacteria able to do this are the acid producing bacteria (APB). Essentially, the APB could be viewed as setting up the conditions for increased levels of aggressivity by the SRB, utilizing the fatty acids generated by the APB. The APB have now been recognized as a possible major cause of corrosion, mainly because their fermentative activities will cause the pH, particularly in the biofilms, to drop into the acid range. Under these conditions, an acid-driven form of corrosion could occur, where the metals begin to dissolve and concrete structures lose integrity. This form of acid-corrosion can be viewed as an initiating, or alternate, event to SRB-initiated electrolytic corrosion. In the last two decades, industry has become more aware of the risks posed by the APB and have come to generally view the creation of acidic pH levels in the environment under reductive conditions to be predominantly driven by the APB. This heightens the corrosion risk to the engineered systems within the affected zone. To detect the APB, an APB-BART has been developed
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