Volkland, H.P. Harms, H. Wanner, O. Zehnder, A.J.B. <jats:p>Biofilm-forming bacteria can protect mild (unalloyed) steel from corrosion. Mild steel coupons incubated with Rhodoccocus sp. strain C125 and Pseudomonas putida mt2 in an aerobic phosphate-buffered medium containing benzoate as carbon and energy source, underwent a surface reaction leading to the formation of a corrosion-inhibiting vivianite layer [Fe3(PO4)2]. Electrochemical potential (E) measurements allowed us to follow the buildup of the vivianite cover. The presence of sufficient metabolically active bacteria at the steel surface resulted in an E decrease to -510 mV, the potential of free iron, and a continuous release of ferrous iron. Part of the dissolved iron precipitated as vivianite in a compact layer of two to three microns in thickness. This layer prevented corrosion of mild steel for over two weeks, even in a highly corrosive medium. A concentration of 20 mM phosphate in the medium was found to be a prerequisite for the formation of the vivianite layer.</jats:p> https://sonar.ch/global/documents/274508 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.2166/wst.2001.0475 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0273-1223 Water Science and Technology. - IWA Publishing. - 2001, vol. 44, no. 8, p. 103-106 Environmental Engineering Water Science and Technology Corrosion protection by anaerobiosis http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501