Study of copper corrosion via extracellular electron transfer by nitrate reducing Halomonas titanicae

The microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of copper via extracellular electron transfer (EET) caused by Halomonas titanicae was investigated using two different methods. Copper corrosion in enriched seawater was accelerated by H. titanicae and was further promoted by riboflavin (RF), an electron mediator that can accelerate EET. Within minutes of 20 ppm RF injection, the copper corrosion started to increase. The copper weight loss for 100% carbon source reduction was 1.4 times that of 0% carbon source reduction. The RF injection data together with carbon starvation data indicate that H. titanicae utilized elemental copper as an electron source to cause EET-MIC.