Corrosion of ferrous metals by bacterially produced iron sulphides and its control by cathodic protection

Of the many unrelated types of microbes that can initiate or stimulate the corrosion of metals, the most important economically are the sulphate‐reducing bacteria. They flourish in the soil, in fresh and salt water (including heating and cooling systems) and in oil storage tanks and associated pipelines; and they have been found in all the continents including Antarctica.