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Inhibiting mild steel corrosion from sulfate-reducing bacteria using antimicrobial-producing biofilms in Three-Mile-Island process water

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Abstract

Biofilms were used to produce gramicidin S (a cyclic decapeptide) to inhibit corrosion-causing, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). In laboratory studies these biofilms protected mild steel 1010 continuously from corrosion in the aggressive, cooling service water of the AmerGen Three-Mile-Island (TMI) nuclear plant, which was augmented with reference SRB. The growth of both reference SRB (Gram-positive Desulfosporosinus orientis and Gram-negative Desulfovibrio vulgaris) was shown to be inhibited by supernatants of the gramicidin-S-producing bacteria as well as by purified gramicidin S. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and mass loss measurements showed that the protective biofilms decreased the corrosion rate of mild steel by 2- to 10-fold when challenged with the natural SRB of the TMI process water supplemented with D. orientis or D. vulgaris. The relative corrosion inhibition efficiency was 50–90% in continuous reactors, compared to a biofilm control which did not produce the antimicrobial gramicidin S. Scanning electron microscope and reactor images also revealed that SRB attack was thwarted by protective biofilms that secrete gramicidin S. A consortium of beneficial bacteria (GGPST consortium, producing gramicidin S and other antimicrobials) also protected the mild steel.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Electric Power Research Institute (Contract EP-P5388-C2665).

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Author notes

  1. D. Örnek

    Present address: Genzyme Corporation, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Chemical Engineering & Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269–3222, USA

    R. Zuo, D. Örnek & T. K. Wood

  2. Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94304–1395, USA

    B. C. Syrett

  3. TMI Nuclear Generation Station, PO Box 480, Middletown, PA 17057, USA

    R. M. Green

  4. Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089–0241, USA

    C.-H. Hsu & F. B. Mansfeld

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  1. R. Zuo
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  7. T. K. Wood
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Correspondence to T. K. Wood.

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Zuo, R., Örnek, D., Syrett, B.C. et al. Inhibiting mild steel corrosion from sulfate-reducing bacteria using antimicrobial-producing biofilms in Three-Mile-Island process water. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 64, 275–283 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-003-1403-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-003-1403-7

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