Degradation and corrosive activities of fungi in a diesel-mild steel-aqueous system

Degradation and corrosive activities of fungi in a diesel-mild steel-aqueous system

The fungi Aspergillus fumigatus, Hormoconis resinae and Candida silvicola were isolated from the fuel/water interfacial biomass in diesel storage tanks in Brazil. Their corrosive activities on mild steel ASTM A 283-93-C, used in storage tanks for urban diesel, were evaluated after various times of i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World journal of microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 135 - 142
Main Authors: MENEZES BENTO, Fatima, BOGUSLAVA BEECH, Iwona, GAYLARDE, Christine Claire, ENGLERT, Gelsa Edith, MULLER, Iduvirges Lourdes
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-03-2005
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Aliphatic hydrocarbons
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Composting
Consortia
Diesel fuels
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Metabolites
Microbial activity
Storage tanks
Biodegradation
Mild steel
storage tanks
Diesel fuel
Propionic acid
diesel oil
Fungi
biocorrosion
Storage
Corrosion
Fungi Imperfecti
Aspergillus fumigatus
Thallophyta
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Summary:The fungi Aspergillus fumigatus, Hormoconis resinae and Candida silvicola were isolated from the fuel/water interfacial biomass in diesel storage tanks in Brazil. Their corrosive activities on mild steel ASTM A 283-93-C, used in storage tanks for urban diesel, were evaluated after various times of incubation at 30 °C in a modified Bushnell-Haas mineral medium (without chlorides) with diesel oil as sole source of carbon. Their ability to degrade diesel oil was evaluated after growth for 30 and 60 days. The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus and the consortium of all three organisms showed the highest production of biomass; A. fumigatus gave the greatest value for steel weight loss and produced the greatest reduction in pH of the aqueous phase. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) showed that the main acid present in the aqueous phase after 60 days incubation with A. fumigatus was propionic acid. Polarization curves indicated that microbial activity influenced the anodic process, probably by the production of corrosive metabolites, and that this was particularly important in the case of A. fumigatus. This fungus preferentially degraded aliphatic hydrocarbons of chain lengths C^sub 11^--C^sub 13^ in the diesel, producing 47.7, 37.5 and 51% reductions in C^sub 11^, C^sub 12^and C^sub 13^, respectively. It produced more degradation than the consortium after 60 days incubation. It is likely that the presence of other species in the consortium inhibited the growth of A. fumigatus, thus resulting in a lower rate of diesel fuel degradation.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0959-3993
1573-0972
DOI:10.1007/s11274-004-3042-2