Purple Nonsulfur Bacteria as Microbial Additives in the Biomimetic Coating Layer to Protect Sewer Concrete Structures from Corrosion Attacks
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 7
Abstract
Sewer concrete structures are vulnerable to acidic corrosion due to the biological oxidation of sulfide in the wastewater to sulfuric acid. The use of photosynthetic bacteria in the coating layer on the sewer concrete is proposed to be an effective approach to prevent such corrosion. Here we report two strains, PN6 and PN7, isolated from a drainage system in Hanoi that were identified as Rhodopseudomonas palustris PN6 and Rhodobacter capsulatus PN7 based on a comparative analysis of the 16S rDNA and pufM gene sequences. Both strains performed versatile metabolic paths, including anoxygenic and microaerophilic phototrophy and aerobic chemotrophy, allowing them to adapt to the fluctuating sewer conditions. Furthermore, they exhibited notable capability of oxidizing sulfide and producing glycocalyx, and therefore were able to prevent concrete corrosion by scavenging sulfide and reducing the production of sulfuric acid, at the same time sealing the tiny cracks on the concrete surface and preventing further attack of the corrosive agents. Two strains grew well at an alkali pH of 9 and formed biofilm extensively, and therefore can be incorporated into porous material vermiculite, allowing them to survive in the coating mortar. The protective effect of coating mortar containing strains PN6 or PN7 singly or in a combination of both incorporated in vermiculite was demonstrated in a laboratory model simulating the sewer environment with an acidic vapor atmosphere. Without bacteria in the coating mortar, the concrete surface suffered severe corrosion with spots of 0.01–0.2 mm in width and up to 4.5 mm in length clustering in rafts of , whereas the concrete surface coated by bacteria-containing mortar was intact to corrosion. The study proposed the possibility of applying purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB) to protect sewer concrete, and also prolong the service life of these important structures.
Practical Applications
Sewer concrete systems are daily attacked by acidic corrosion established via the biological oxidation of sulfide to sulfuric acid. The repair is generally costly and has difficulties in implementation. The use of PNSB with the capabilities of scavenging and producing exopolysaccharide (EPS) for the development of a coating layer would be a feasible approach to constrain the corrosion process. Suitable strains of PNSB such as the two strains Rhodopseudomonas palustris PN6 and Rhodobacter capsulatus PN7 reported in this study are supposed to be incorporated in a porous material like vermiculite before being added to the coating mortar to better stabilize and adapt to the harsh conditions of the coating layer. These types of PNSB can survive in the coating layer and multiply by utilizing organic carbon and sulfide from wastewater with the production of sulfur (instead of sulfuric acid) and glycocalyx that can instantly seal the tiny corrosion spots and prevent further corrosion attacks. This approach is supposed to be a prevention solution to increase the service durability of sewer concrete systems and reduce the need for repair implementation.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The study was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, Project Number NDT/KR/21/19. Authors Huyen Anh Nguyen and Hai Thi Nguyen contributed equally to this work.
Author contributions: Huyen A. Nguyen and Hai T. Nguyen performed the data collection and interpretation and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Tuan V. Nguyen and Thang C. Nguyen performed data collection and provided a critical revision of the manuscript. Keun-Hyeok Yang provided a discussion on the results and revised the manuscript. Hang T. Dinh conceptualized the work and edited the manuscript.
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Received: Oct 30, 2023
Accepted: Jan 30, 2024
Published online: Apr 26, 2024
Published in print: Jul 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Sep 26, 2024
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