Sector Introduction
Microbiological spoilage and corrosion can have a wide range of potential impacts across many land-based industries including petroleum, manufacturing, water supply, environmental, energy, power generation and ground transportation.
- Manufacturing processes can be adversely affected by microbial growth leading to a poor quality finished product.
- Manufactured products and raw materials can suffer serious biodeterioration in storage, if inadequately preserved.
- Fuels such as diesel and heating oil can be affected by microbiological growth whilst in storage, distribution and use, leading to poor fuel quality, corrosion of tanks and ultimately power failures and breakdowns.
- Oils and lubricants can also be affected leading to machinery failures and costly downtime for repairs and remediation.
The health concerns from microbiological contamination in drinking water supplies and recreational water are well known. Less well known are microbiological problems of fouling and corrosion in other water systems including, cooling towers, closed water systems in buildings, and water used in the drinks industry.
Some of the key issues that microbiological contamination can cause in this diverse range of industries are outlined below.