Effect of Cathodic Protection on Biofilm Formation and Maturation

TL;DRAbstract

Abstract Cathodic protection (CP) is known as a reliable method to protect steel from corrosion. However, the influence of CP on biofilm formation and maturation is not well known. There are three possible effects of CP on biofilm formation and maturation. Those are: 1) deprivation of anchorage sites for bacterial adhesion, 2) increase of electrostatic repulsion between the steel surface and negatively charged bacteria, 3) elimination of bacteria in the biofilm by increasing pH. To investigate these possible effects of CP on biofilm, carbon steel coupons were immersed in artificial seawater with and without CP. CP retarded steel corrosion, as a consequence of inhibition of biofilm formation. CP also inhibited initial attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, a strain well known for its negative charge and pioneering adhesive characteristics. Since the inhibitive effect of cell adhesion was greater in low ionic conditions than in high ionic conditions, CP increased electrical repulsion

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