Increasing evidence is being found that anaerobic corrosion of the external surface of pipelines is a serious problem in widely scattered localities. In 1939 Hadley1 reported widespread anaerobic corrosion in Ohio and Pennsylvania. In 1940 Hadley2 and in 1941 Beckwith3 published extensive studies on this type of corrosion. In 1945 and 1947 Starkey and Wight4 , 5 reported conditions favoring microbial corrosion in soil and information concerning the mechanism of the corrosion process. In 1947, Huddleston6 presented results obtained by cathodic protection of a pipeline located in Oklahoma which was rapidly deteriorating from bacterial corrosion.
Anaerobic corrosion, according to the latest concept, is caused by specific types of bacteria which are active only in environments free of oxygen (anaerobic). Other factors which affect the action of the bacteria are moisture content of the soil, the alkalinity or environmental pH, abundance of organic matter and presence...
