Sulfate-dependant microbially induced corrosion of mild steel in the deep sea : a 10-year microbiome study

• Main Authors: Rajala, Pauliina, Cheng, Dong-Qiang, Rice, Scott A., Lauro, Federico M.
• Other Authors: Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences and Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Science::Geology; Microbially Induced Corrosion; Deep-Sea; Mild Steel; Corrosion; Sulfate Reducing Bacteria
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/155171
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Metal corrosion in seawater has been extensively studied in surface and shallow waters. However, infrastructure is increasingly being installed in deep-sea environments, where extremes of temperature, salinity, and high hydrostatic pressure increase the costs and logistical challenges associated with monitoring corrosion. Moreover, there is currently only a rudimentary understanding of the role of microbially induced corrosion, which has rarely been studied in the deep-sea. We report here an integrative study of the biofilms growing on the surface of corroding mooring chain links that had been deployed for 10 years at ~2 km depth and developed a model of microbially induced corrosion based on flux-balance analysis.