Novel Methanobacterium Strain Induces Severe Corrosion by Retrieving Electrons from Fe0 under a Freshwater Environment

Abstract

Methanogens capable of accepting electrons from Fe0 cause severe corrosion in anoxic conditions. In previous studies, all iron-corrosive methanogenic isolates were obtained from marine environments. However, the presence of methanogens with corrosion ability using Fe0 as an electron donor and their contribution to corrosion in freshwater systems is unknown. Therefore, to understand the role of methanogens in corrosion under anoxic conditions in a freshwater environment, we investigated the corrosion activities of methanogens in samples collected from groundwater and rivers. We enriched microorganisms that can grow with CO2/NaHCO3 and Fe0 as the sole carbon source and electron donor, respectively, in ground freshwater. Methanobacterium sp. TO1, which induces iron corrosion, was isolated from freshwater. Electrochemical analysis revealed that strain TO1 can uptake electrons from the cathode at lower than −0.61 V vs SHE and has a redox-active component with electrochemical potential different from those of other previously reported methanogens with extracellular electron transfer ability. This study indicated the corrosion risk by methanogens capable of taking up electrons from Fe0 in anoxic freshwater environments and the necessity of understanding the corrosion mechanism to contribute to risk diagnosis.

Potential of sodium dichromate and sodium silicate to control in vitro growth of Bacillus cereus, a metal corrosion-causing bacterium

“…However, the application of such microbial competitors to prevent microbe-induced corrosion has some drawbacks. Some methanogenic Archaea, for example, are among biocontrol agents with the capacity to induce corrosion, besides their capacity to compete with other corrosion-causing microbes (Hirano et al 2020(Hirano et al , 2022.…”

Characterization of sediment and granite hosted deep underground research laboratories reveals diverse microbiome functions, limited temporal variation and substantial genomic conservation

“…It has been noted that production of sulfide by microbial communities in the terrestrial deep subsurface may be occurring even in the absence of geochemical evidence (Bell et al 2020), highlighting the importance of microbial characterisation of these systems. Methanogens could also be problematic in that they can colonize the surfaces of steel containers and use the iron as the electron donor for methane production (Dinh et al, 2004; Mori et al, 2010; Hirano et al, 2022). Both sulfate reduction and methane production can be coupled to hydrogen metabolism, for which there are abundant genes.…”

The Isolation of Anaerobic and Facultative Anaerobic Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB) and a Comparison of Related Enzymes in Their Sulfate Reduction Pathways

“…SRB are widely distributed in marine sediments and in rust layers on metal surfaces [ 3 ] and are the most influential and dominant corrosion-accelerating agents driving metal microbial corrosion (MIC) in marine environments [ 4 ]. The hydrogen sulfide and sulfide produced during the growth of SRB directly promote metal corrosion [ 5 ]. SRB also have high hydrogenase activity, thereby producing hydrogen via formate fermentation, and they have substantial potential in the field of energy generation [ 6 ].…”