Microbes are the cause of microbiological corrosion in industrial facilities.

Microbes are the cause of microbiological corrosion in industrial facilities

Microorganisms are found everywhere in nature. They are scattered in the air, water, and soil and play an important and vital role in the health of humans and animals. Many microorganisms are beneficial, while others are pathogenic. There are numerous bacteria in the environment that can cause many problems. Issues such as changes in color and turbidity in the environment, infection and corrosion, and the formation of biofilms can be caused by microbes. The wide range of bacteria involved in corrosion cannot be easily identified and diagnosed with a single test. Failure to identify important environmental microorganisms correctly and in a timely manner can lead to detrimental effects such as water pollution and biofilm formation, due to the lack of water flow in connections or equipment, and subsequently their deterioration as a result of corrosion.

MicrobCheck microbial corrosion-causing bacteria identification kits

MicrobCheck kits are a method for testing water against harmful bacteria and can cover several different tests. These tests determine the activity (invasion) of these harmful bacteria based on the time lag (the time between starting to incubate the sample and the time when the first positive reaction is observed). The longer the time lag before observing bacterial activity, the less invading bacteria exist in that particular sample. Determining the time lag is done for quantitative and qualitative evaluations of bacterial reactions. The main components of the MicrobCheck kit include a specific culture medium for the target bacterial group, a float, and a Falcon tube. The culture medium and the float are specifically designed and optimized for placement inside a particular Falcon laboratory tube for this kit. One of the key components in the MicrobCheck kit is the ball inside the Falcon tube where the sample is poured. By adding water samples to the Falcon tube, the ball in the kit is placed on the surface of the sample water and limits the entry of oxygen from the empty space above the Falcon to the inside of the sample. The size designed for this ball is such that when it floats on the surface of the sample, the amount of space between it and the Falcon tube wall is so limited that the penetration of oxygen is reduced by 80-90% from that space.

The density and material used for the ball used in this design is such that about 70% of it remains submerged in water. The top part of the ball, which is in contact with the water, has the most contact with oxygen that penetrates from the top of the falcon space. As a result, aerobic growth takes place precisely in this location due to the presence of oxygen. The ball is white in color, so any growth that occurs in this area is easily visible on the surface of the ball. In the lower part of the ball, which is completely submerged in water, conditions of stress are created due to the increasing oxygen levels. The reason for this is the significant activity of microbes present in the sample under these conditions in this area. The lower hemisphere of the ball can also serve as a place for attachment and growth of some microorganisms. In this case, sedimentation and/or color change in this part of the float will also be visible. At the same time, gas bubbles resulting from fermentation and released from the bottom of the falcon have the ability to adhere to all these surfaces. Ultimately, if these bubbles do not disappear, increasing their amount can create a ring of dirty sediment around the ball that will be easily recognizable.

Advantages of the microbeCheck kit

The method used in the production of MicrobCheck kits has numerous advantages compared to most of the methods used to identify spoilage-causing bacteria to date:

The environmental conditions provided by these kits allow the target bacteria to grow without causing any changes to the original water sample (for example, diluting it). Therefore, the least damage is inflicted on the bacterial population present in the sample.

Due to the addition of a large volume of sample (19 milliliters) to the medium inside the Falcon kit, the accuracy of counting and evaluating the activity of target bacteria in each kit is much higher than in other similar kits.

Although some oxygen is introduced into the sample during the initial stages of inoculating the water sample into the kit, many of the target bacteria are still protected by their biofilms and the materials present in their natural biofilm. This issue is important because oxygen can be toxic to some target bacteria, especially anaerobic SRBs.

Anaerobic zones can be created as soon as a sample is inoculated into a Falcon tube. These zones are formed both in the bottom part (the Falcon tube base) and on the surface of floating plaque inside the floating biofilms that attach to the surface of the tube. Such conditions greatly assist the growth of anaerobic bacteria present in the sample. In the protocols recommended by the API, the heating time of samples reaches several weeks (for example, for SRB bacteria, this time is 4 weeks). However, the heating time for MicrobCheck kits is 10 days or less. A clear distinction is provided between anaerobic bacteria that grow in the lower layers of the environment and the Falcon tube base, and aerobic bacteria that mostly grow around the floating plaque and under it. Based on this phenomenon, a relatively accurate estimation of the dominant bacteria in the sample and their activity quality can be obtained. With the MicrobCheck kit, it is possible to simultaneously track the presence of target bacteria in the sample, count the number of these bacteria in the sample, and arrive at a relative assessment of their invasive level. Such data can be very helpful in achieving effective solutions in controlling the population of these bacteria and ultimately reducing the damage caused by their activities in various facilities and devices. The use of these kits is very easy and requires no or minimal laboratory equipment. This feature makes the use of these kits possible immediately after sampling and on the spot.