Turbidity Method to Measure the Growth of Anaerobic Bacteria Related to Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion

Abstract

This study defines the interrelationship between turbidities and cell number counting efficiency for the growth of one of the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) species in a medium. The metabolism activities during bacteria growth can accelerate the corrosion process and shorten the reliability of pipelines. Thus, the investigation of MIC species’ development and metabolic activities is significant. An experiment was performed on sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) that practiced the medium as the substance to grow. Desulfovibrio vulgaris, a strain of SRB, was cultured in a postgate C medium to measure the bacteria survival using two different measurement methods. The medium was modified to pH 7.5 at 37°C and placed in anaerobic vials. During 24 hours of incubation, samples were retrieved, and the value of turbidity and cell numbers was measured. Based on the SRB growth graph pattern, the amount of bacteria cell numbers was increased parallel to the value of the medium’s turbidity in respect to time. Both values (turbidity and bacteria cell numbers) dramatically increased from hour1 to hour24. The results supported that the turbidity value was positively correlated with bacteria cell numbers.