Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC)

Microbiologically influenced corrosion is accelerated metal loss caused or promoted by the metabolic activity of bacteria - most notably sulphate-reducing bacteria - living in the soil or water in contact with a pipeline. MIC often produces distinctive, localised pitting that can progress faster than general electrochemical corrosion and can be harder to detect with standard cathodic protection readings, since CP is effective against electrochemical corrosion but only partially mitigates microbial activity. It is more common in wet, anaerobic, organic-rich soils and near water crossings, which makes soil and environmental context a genuine input into where MIC risk should be weighted higher.