Characterization of Corrosive Bacterial Consortia Isolated from Water in a Cooling Tower

Rajasekar Aruliah,Yen-Peng Ting

doi:10.1155/2014/803219

Rajasekar Aruliah, Yen-Peng Ting

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/803219

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Abstract

An analysis of a culturable corrosive bacterial community in water samples from a cooling tower was performed using traditional cultivation techniques and its identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. Seven aerobic bacterial species were identified: Pseudomonas putida ARTYP1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ARTYP2, Massilia timonae ARTYP3, Massilia albidiflava ARTYP4, Pseudomonas mosselii ARTYP5, Massilia sp. ARTYP6, and Pseudomonas sp. ARTYP7. Although some of these species have commonly been observed and reported in biocorrosion studies, the genus Massilia is identified for the first time in water from a cooling tower. The biocorrosion behaviour of copper metal by the new species Massilia timonae ARTYP3 was selected for further investigation using a weight loss method, as well as electrochemical and surface analysis techniques (SEM, AFM, and FTIR). In contrast with an uninoculated system, thin bacterial biofilms and pitting corrosion were observed on the copper metal surface in the presence of M. timonae. The use of a biocide, bronopol, inhibited the formation of biofilm and pitting corrosion on the copper metal surface.

Highlights

In order to implement efficient monitoring and control strategies for the inhibition of biocorrosion, it is important to have knowledge of the microbial population responsible for this phenomenon, as well as interactions of different microorganisms with metallic surfaces [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
Preliminary identification of the bacteria by biochemical test indicated that the isolates belong to the genera Massilia sp. and Pseudomonas sp
A corrosive bacterial community in water samples collected from a cooling tower was cultivated using traditional cultivation techniques and identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence

Summary

Introduction

In order to implement efficient monitoring and control strategies for the inhibition of biocorrosion, it is important to have knowledge of the microbial population responsible for this phenomenon, as well as interactions of different microorganisms with metallic surfaces [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. In many industries, cooling towers are commonly used for heat transfer from recirculated water to the atmosphere, typically by means of trickling or spraying the water over a material with high surface area [9]. These towers generally have sizable water reservoirs, with temperature typically maintained between 25∘C and 35∘C. These conditions provide an ideal environment for microbial growth and propagation [10,11,12,13]. A multilayer structure of microorganisms and their EPS have been reported to be entrapped between layers of different inorganic corrosion products on copper-based surfaces after exposure to natural seawater environment [19,20,21,22,23,24]

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