EFC Working Party 10: Microbial Corrosion

Mission

The main purpose of the working party is to increase basic understanding of biocorrosion. This general theme is organised in three thematic areas:

1. Mechanisms of biocorrosion and analytical approaches
2. From basic understanding towards knowledge-based risk assessment, monitoring and mitigation techniques
3. From basic understanding towards new processes.

News: Award on microbial corrosion fingerprint

 
Are you a young researcher or a young professional?

Do you know corrosive microbial fingerprints?

Take part in the new initiative of the WP on Microbial Corrosion and win your free of charge registration fee at EUROCORR 2024 in Paris!

We are pleased to announce that the EFC WP10 - Microbial Corrosion launches an Award for young corrosionists. This prize provides financial support for the winner to attend free of charge the EUROCORR 2024 international conference that will be held in Paris, 01-05 September 2024.

Scope: To create a common, free, and open access platform that allows participants to discuss microbial fingerprints of biofilms from Next Generation Sequencing data. The idea is to discuss biofilm genome metadata that characterise MIC cases and/or relevant conditions for MIC risk assessment.

The platform aims to answer relevant questions, including:

• Can a microbiological fingerprint characterise MIC cases?
  
  
• Can the microbiological fingerprint characterise an environment (soil, water, underground...) or some critical conditions for MIC assessment?
  
  
• Can studying the microbial fingerprints of MIC cases be fascinating for researchers and fruitful for industries?
  
  
• Can we assess relevant fingerprints better than, or before, artificial intelligence?

We still do not know the answers to these questions, but we can learn much more about MIC by producing and sharing data and ideas. It is an exciting challenge to search and experience together the microbial fingerprint of corrosion and corrosion inhibition cases.

The most relevant microbial fingerprint of corrosion/inhibition cases that will be put and discussed on the platform will be invited for presentation during the Microbial Corrosion session at EUROCORR 2024 in Paris.

Candidate Requirements:

• Young researchers or young professionals with no more than 10 years of experience
• Commitment to deliver an oral presentation in the WP10 session "Microbial Corrosion" at EUROCORR 2024.

Anyone who meets the above requirements can apply for the awards. Priority will be given to applicants who have already attended EUROCORR in the past.

What to do:

1. Register and log in to the EFC HUB website (https://efc.solved.fi), and look for Projects & Task Forces in the drop-down menu on the top left of the page. You will then be able to subscribe and share a post on the project “Discovering microbial corrosion fingerprint” containing your key findings.
2. Post your graphical abstract or a short presentation with data of microbial fingerprint related to corrosion cases (one or more ppt slides) through the EFC HUB (https://efc.solved.fi/activities/projects/9230100c-f8c4-4e02-9f7c-3ef55b140e11) by clicking on "continue to feed".
3. Details about data sharing and templates are provided in the EFC HUB webpage (project “Discovering microbial corrosion fingerprint”, posts 1 and 2), https://efc.solved.fi/activities/projects/9230100c-f8c4-4e02-9f7c-3ef55b140e11.

Selection Criteria:

• Quality and relevance of the described microbial fingerprint for corrosion
• Originality and impact of the contribution to the research
• Potential interest to the EUROCORR audience

The applications will be assessed by the chair and vice chair(s) of the EFC WP10 Microbial Corrosion session. 

Please submit your data by 15 May 2024.

Prizes will be communicated at the end of May 2024 and announced on the EFC WP10 website.

Publications

Books and Prooceedings

1988. 1st EFC Workshop on Microbial Corrosion, at Sintra (P), on 7-9 March.
The proceedings were published as Microbial Corrosion - Proceedings of the first EFC workshop (Eds C.A.C. Sequeira and A. K. Tiller) 1988, Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, New York, 1988.

1991. 2nd workshop Workshop on Microbial Corrosion, Sesimbra (P), 1991,
The proceedings were published as Number 8 in the EFC Series.

1992. WP10 arranged for an English translation of "Mikrobiologische Materialzerstörung und Materialschutz" (Microbiological Degradation of Materials and Methods of Protection) as No. 10 in the EFC Series, 1992.

1994. 3rd Workshop on Microbial Corrosion, Estoril (P), 13-16 March 1994.
The proceedings was published as No. 15 in the EFC Series.

1996. The proceedings of the session on Microbial Corrosion from EUROCORR1996 was published as EFC book N. 22.

1999. The 4th Workshop on Microbial Corrosion took place in Lisbon (P) on 6-9 June 1999, and the proceedings appeared as No. 29 in the EFC Series which included also the result of a survey on MIC in Italian power plants.

2001 - 2012. Meetings and publications were in the context of the annual EURORR conference and proceedings.
The main contributions of EFC WP10 during Eurocorr 2012 were gathered in a special issue of Bioelectrochemistry (volume 97, 2014).

2013. During EUROCORR 2013, WP10 was coupled with BIOCOR final conference.

2014. The N. 66 in the EFC Series published the lessons at the course "'understanding biocorrosion: fundamentals & applications', a summer school organized in 2011 by the University of Portsmouth (UK) in the framework of BIOCOR-ITN.

---

Minutes of the WP meetings

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2024, Paris, France

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2023, Bruxelles, Belgium

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2022, Berlin, Germany

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2021, virtual

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2020, virtual

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2019, Seville, Spain

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2017, Prague, Czech Republic

WP meeting during EUROCORR 2013, Estoril, Prague

---

WP10 publications & Results from the Thematic Network "MIC of Industrial materials" and from biocor network

During 1998 to 2002 a Thematic Network on MIC of Industrial Materials was funded by the European Commission (BRRT-CT98-5084). The purpose of this network was to bring together scientists and engineers from European industries, research organisations and universities to promote scientific and technological co-operation in order to better understand microbiologically-influenced corrosion (MIC), sometimes termed biocorrosion, phenomena, to assess its' risk, and to propose effective ways of its' mitigation. The multidisciplinary character of the project requires promoting effective communication between all the different partners involved in the network. Comminication was organised according to three main areas:

1. Enhancement of the relations between academic teams with different backgrounds (biochemistry, microbiology, electrochemistry, and materials) is necessary to improve the fundamental understanding of microbiologically-induced degradation and/or corrosion.
2. Exchanges between engineers from different industrial sectors are strongly encouraged. Each of them possesses a particular know-how for MIC prevention in different application domains. Their techniques gain efficiency if they exchange their different experiences.
3. To create multiple links between academic teams and R&D industrial groups. This provides the academic investigators with new specific MIC cases, on practical applications and at industrial scale. On the other hand, the connection with academic researchers helps the industrial partners to organise their own approach concerning fundamental well-identified topics and to define more efficient strategies against MIC.

From 2009 to 2013, the BIOCOR project was running with the purpose to provide the European Community with new multidisciplinary expertise in the area of biocorrosion in order to develop more efficient knowledge-based solutions for the industry. A summer school 'understanding biocorrosion: fundamentals & applications' was organized in 2011 by the University of Portsmouth (UK) and the courses were published as Number 66 in the EFC Series. Moreover the main contributions of EFC WP10 during Eurocorr 2012 were gathered in a special issue of Bioelectrochemistry (volume 97, 2014).
 

---

Some Guides

Simple Methods for the investigation of the role of Biofilms in Corrosion , written by Task Group 1, especially: Iwona Beech, Alain Bergel, Alfonso Mollica, Hans-Curt Flemming (Task Leader), Vittoria Scotto and Wolfgang Sand. Comments and suggestions are welcome .

Questionnaire MIC-Risk Assessment: Is it MIC or is it not MIC? This questionnaire is a draft form that is intended to help to answer this question. Provide us with your comments and remarks, please.

Report 2002 "Biofilm and corrosion monitoring - Guidelines", written by Task Group 5 - BIOCORROSION, with contribution from KEMA, CESI, IWW - University of Duisburg, IPL - DTU, LABORELEC, SINTEF and CNR-ICMM. The proceedings of this workshop are not available in the web but can be obtained from Pierangela Cristiani (Task 5 leader and Chairperson WP10). 

---

Workshop Proceedings:

Biocorrosion 99-01: Corrosion of Steel Sheet Piles in Seawater, Meeting held on March 24, 1999 at Cherbourg, France. The proceedings of this workshop are not electronically available but can be obtained in print from Damien Féron (Chairperson WP4).

Biocorrosion 99-02: Methods for Investigation of Biofilms, Meeting held on May 17-18, 1999 at Mühlheim an der Ruhr, Germany.

Biocorrosion 00-01: Biofilm and MIC Monitoring: state-of-the-art held on April 13, 2000 at Venezia, Italy, organized by Pierangela Cristiani (CESI, Italy) and Vittoria Scotto (CNR-ISMAR, Italy). The presentation of Hans-Curt Flemming is not included in the proceedings, as the file size exceeds 7.5 MB. It can be downloaded as a separate file .

Workshop "Enzymes and Corrosion" in Paris, France, December 05, 2000. What role do enzymes play in corrosion? This workshop was the second on this topic and was organised by Damien Féron (CEA, France).

Workshop "Localised Electrochemical Techniques", March 07-08, 2002, Stockholm, Sweden. This workshop was organised by Rolf Gubner.

COST 520 final Workshop, March 10-13, 2002, Stockholm, Sweden (contact Rolf Gubner for more details). This meeting was organised by the Swedish Corrosion Institute. Most COST 520 projects were presented in this last workshop of this action. The proceedings of the workshop are availabe on CD-ROM (contact Rolf Gubner to receive your copy).
 

---

Presentations:

Mitigation of MIC from the material and its surface, Prof. Dake Xu presented this paper at the EUROCORR 2017 in Prague

Optical Fouling Monitors, R. L.Wetegrove , NALCO, USA presented on the Workshop on Biofouling Monitoring Systems, held in Venice, Apr. 2000. The presentation was kindly given by R. L. Wetegrove for display on this website.

A Sum Up of Field Experiences 00-03 as pdf-file . By Anna Iversen, Outokumpu, Sweden, presented on the second general meeting in Stockholm, Sweden.

Monitoring systems for MIC . Pierangela Cristiani (RSE, former CESI, Italy), presented this paper at the COST 520 action (Biofouling and Materials) in Budapest 31.05. - 03.06.2000.
  

---

Papers for Discussion:

Do micro-organisms "eat" metal? (Biocorrosion 00-03) This paper was written by Sten B. Axelsen and Trond Rogne, SINTEF Materials Technology as a discussion basis for task group 2, corrosion.

Sketch to Report: Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion of Stainless Steels in Sea Water - Critical Parameters (Biocorrosion 00-04) is also written by Sten B. Axelsen and Trond Rogne, SINTEF Materials Technology.

Summary of the European Directives Regulating the Placing of the Biocorrosion and Corrosion Inhibitors on the Market , I. Ghillebaert, Ecotox (in co-operation with MEXEL), France.

 

Previous Activities

History

1987. In January 1987, the inaugural meeting of the new EFC WP10 on Microbial Corrosion took place in Trondheim with Mr. Kenneth Tiller (UK) as its Chairman.

1988. The 1st EFC Workshop on Microbial Corrosion was held with support from Professor C.A.C. Sequeira and the local societies at Sintra (P) on 7-9 March 1988.

1994. Dominique Thierry (SCI, Sweden) took over the chairmanship of WP10 at the 3rd Workshop on Microbial Corrosion in Estoril. He promoted a survey of issues due to MIC in industrial environment and the European Program FP3-MAST II, leaded by Vittoria Scotto (CNR-ICMM, Italy), that screened the electrochemical effect of biofilm on stainless steel in different European Countries from 1992 to 1996. This action engaged a strict collaboration between several pioneers of microbial corrosion in Europe.

1999. At the 4th Workshop on Microbial Corrosion that was held in Lisbon, WP10 began assembling a directory of European Experts in Microbially Induced Corrosion (MIC) and helped to establish a European Network on MIC (BIOCORROSION-Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion of Industrial Materials, FP3-Brite Euram Program III, 1999-2003).

2001. Rolf Gubner (SCI, Sweden) succeeded Dominique Thierry as chairman of WP10. Since attention has been focused on by the organization of strong sessions at EUROCORR.

2009. A Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) entitled BIOCOR has been funded by the EU Seventh Framework Programme "People". Initiated by the working party, it allowed the training of sixteen young researchers to address and manage all aspects of scientific and/or industrial problems related to MIC, running during four years under the coordination of Régine Basséguy (CNRS-Toulouse, F).

2012. Turid Liengen (Statoil, Norway),) took over the chairmanship of WP10 on behalf of BIOCOR

2014. Pierangela Cristiani (RSE, Italy), involved in the WP10 actions since 1999, at the end of BIOCOR action took in charge the chairmanship of the WP10.

2024. Award on Microbial Corrosion fingerprint