Bacterial anaerobic corrosion typically impacts metallic substrates but may also occur in concrete. Corrosion of concrete mediums leads to considerable losses in industrial settings. When considering the corrosion of concrete there is significant documentation of structural degradation in concrete wastewater infrastructure where wastewater is collected or treated. Similarly, biofilms are important for bacterial anaerobic corrosion of metals in wastewater pipes.
For bacterial anaerobic corrosion there is general corrosion of substrates as well as another form of corrosion known as pitting. In both general or pitting corrosion, the breakdown process occurs in aqueous conditions. Bacteria tend to form biofilms as their primary means of corroding metals, with different bacteria dominating across different settings. In municipal wastewater, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans is the main contributor to corrosion.