Collection: Microbiological Media

BTI Products’ media are liquid growth mediums contained in sterilized, sealed, high-impact glass bottles.  We use our own proprietary recipes, developed through years of research and testing, to provide conditions favorable for the growth of specific groups of real-world microbes.

Which types of microbes are involved in Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC)?
Many different types of microbes are involved in MIC.  Most damage to system components is caused by the action of microbial communities composed of several different groups of bacteria working together.  The bacteria most often involved in MIC of industrial systems belong to the following groups:

  • Aerobes (AERO) - Aerobic bacteria grow and live in the presence of oxygen, and are a diverse group that include slime-formers and low nutrient bacteria (see below).  Aerobes are important to MIC because they produce extracellular polymers (“slime”) that bind cells to the surface and trap particulates, forming deposits.  Aerobic slimes also regulate what permeates the deposit.  Aerobes use oxygen, preventing it from reaching the underlying surface which creates an ideal site for anaerobic bacterial growth (such as APB and SRB) and involvement of these bacteria in MIC.
  • Anaerobes (ANA) - There are both obligate anaerobes, which cannot grow in the presence of oxygen and may be killed by oxygen, and facultative anaerobes, which are capable of growing in the presence or absence of oxygen.  Anaerobes include slime and acid-formers and help create conditions under which other MIC-related microbes, such as sulfate-reducing bacteria, can flourish.
  • Acid-producing bacteria (APB) - There are both obligate APB, which cannot grow in the presence of oxygen and may be killed by oxygen, and facultative APB, which are capable of growing in the presence or absence of oxygen.  APB feed on organic nutrients and excrete organic acids that are very important in MIC and contribute to rapid and severe under-deposit acid attack/pitting.  The presence of APB is the best indication of “mature” MIC communities and possibly advanced pitting corrosion.
  • Iron-related bacteria (IRB) - IRB are microbes capable of converting iron to insoluble deposits.  IRB gain their energy from oxidizing Fe2+ to Fe3+ and, thus, contribute to the formation of discrete deposits.  The IRB belong to many other functional groups (e.g., aerobes and anaerobes) and, therefore, can be present under a wide variety of environmental conditions. 
  • Low nutrient bacteria (LNB) - LNB are microbes that grow in environments with very low concentrations of nutrients and aerobes (see above) in that they thrive in oxygenated environments.  LNB are the most common group of microbes found in fresh waters (potable waters, well waters, surface waters, condensate).  LNB start the process of MIC by forming slimes and deposits which provide places for other MIC bacteria to grow and contribute to MIC.  While LNB belong to other functional groups (e.g., aerobes, slime-formers), they are distinguished from these groups by their aptitude in thriving in low nutrient environments.
  • Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) - SRB convert sulfate to sulfide and are obligate anaerobes (they must grow in the absence of oxygen).  While SRB are important in MIC of soils, pipelines, and other environments high in organic materials, they are often not found in environments such as FPS and potable water systems due to the lack of organic nutrients and sulfate in these systems and because of exposure to oxygen.  SRB are indicators of “mature” MIC communities and possibly advanced pitting corrosion.  SRB are often easily detectable because of the “rotten egg” smell that results from their production of sulfide, which combines with hydrogen to form hydrogen sulfide.

BENEFITS:

Here are just a few of the benefits of using BTI Products’ media over other microbial testing products:

  1. Sensitivity - Our approach allows for the detection of many more microbes than is possible using other methods while still having the broadest detection range of any test method—from one microbe per milliliter to as high a detection limit as you may want.
  2. Detection/Recovery - Putting our media into sealed glass bottles lets us control the gases in the liquid medium and in the headspace, which provides an environment even more favorable to rapid growth of microbes of the desired types and prevents drying of media (a problem with dipsticks and agar plates).  Also, each of our media have been formulated to effectively grow specific types of real-world organisms, not just strains of organisms that are cultured in laboratories.
  3. Eliminates contamination - The enclosed environment in our media bottles eliminates contamination from exposure to air, dust, and contact with surfaces or fingers.
  4. Tests any type of sample - Liquids, biofilms, swabs, corrosion products, soils, effluent, fuels, etc. can all be tested using BTI Products’ media.
  5. Ease of interpretation - Positive reactions are definite and rely upon color change or clouding of media.
  6. No special equipment required - BTI Products’ media are incubated at room temperature in the media/test kit box, therefore, incubators are not required.


PACKAGING:

All media is sold in 20-bottle trays.  Instructions and sampling/processing items are not included but can be obtained by contacting us.  To view our test kit offerings, see our Diagnostic Test Kits.

7 products
  • BTI-APB Medium
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  • BTI-LNB Medium
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  • BTI-ANA Medium
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  • BTI-SRB Medium
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  • BTI-IRB Medium
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  • BTI-AERO Medium
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  • BTI-ADS
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