Iron Bacteria

IRON BACTERIA

  • Certain of the bacteria have the power of abstracting iron from the water in which they live and of depositing it in the form of ferric hydroxide in the mucilagenous sheath with which they are invested.

Crenothrix

  • The best known iron bacteria but not the most widespread it consists of minute filaments attached by one end of some solid object .
  • Generally the service supply pipes become coated with a rusty pile of crenothrix and such pipes were actually obstructed by a hard ferruginous deposit.
  • The water is unusable for domestic supply owing to its bad taste and smell.

Gallionella

  • Another iron bacteria and it is more widespread, it forms a slimy coating on the inner surface of iron supply pipes, this coating may become so thick that it considerably reduces the capacity of the pipes.
  • The organisms also plays a part in the formation of the hard rusty nodules and incrustations that are commonly seen in water pipes in some areas.
  • The organism also accelerate the deposition of rust probably through their oxidation processes.
  • Chlorination of water is one of the remedies that have been found satisfactory in the control of iron bacteria. 
Last modified: Wednesday, 9 March 2011, 8:40 AM