Biocorrosion produced by Thiobacillus-like microorganisms.
Biocorrosion can be produced by many different microorganisms through diverse mechanisms. The biocorrosion produced by acidophilic microorganisms of the genus Thiobacillus is based on the production of sulfuric acid and ferric ion from pyrites or related mineral structures, as a result of the chemolithotrophic metabolism of these microorganisms. The products of this aerobic respiration are also powerful oxidant elements, which can produce chemical oxidations of other metallic structures. The Tinto River, a very unusual extremophilic habitat (pH around 2, and high concentration of ferric ion), product of the growth of strict chemolithotrophic microorganisms, is discussed as a model case.
López
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Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Marín
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Amils
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D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003343:Corrosion; D005618:Fresh Water; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013855:Thiobacillus / Q000378:metabolism*; D014871:Water Microbiology