Iron Related Bacteria (IRB) Test Kit
Iron bacteria are filamentous bacteria that are usually seen as semi-spherical lumps in the form of blisters on steel parts. These aerobic bacteria reproduce even in water containing oxygen up to 0.01 ppm. For this reason, these bacteria can cause problems in low or stagnant flow rates. Iron bacteria start multiplying even in waters where the amount of dissolved iron is at most 0.4 ppm, and the first characteristic is the coloration of the water. One type of iron bacteria is Gallionella bacteria, which causes pitting corrosion of stainless steels in many cases.
Damage Caused by Iron Related Bacteria
By producing iron ions and concentrating chloride ions, iron bacteria have the ability to create highly corrosive environment, and in many cases, they are responsible for the destructive process of pitting iron and steel, which may be recognized as rust. The activity of these bacteria can sometimes be so intense that the color of the water ecomes reddish and its taste changes. These bacteria cause the blockage of water pipes through the production of large deposits and brown sludge. In addition, by consuming oxygen under the sediment, these bacteria create a good environment for the growth and proliferation of anaerobic bacteria such as SRB. In petroleum systems, iron bacteria have been found in open sumps, storage wells, filters, transmission lines, equipment, and injection wells.
