Sulfate‐reducing bacteria: Physiology determines their environmental impact

The cell physiology of the sulfate‐reducing bacteria is considered in the light of the thermodynamic restrictions imposed by the use of sulfate as terminal electron acceptor. Extension of the analysis to particular ecosystems demonstrates that the environmental and economic problems associated with these organisms—pollution, hydrocarbon reservoir souring, and corrosion of carbon steel—are the direct consequences of that cell physiology.

Keywords:

• bioenergetics
• electron transfer
• equilibrium thermodynamics
• microbial consortia
• microbially induced corrosion
• redox reactions
• sulfate‐reducing bacteria
• SRB