在金屬表面附著生長的細菌和微生物，因其新陳代謝反應，產生腐蝕環境，造成金屬腐蝕，此現象謂之細菌、微生物腐蝕。早年由Von Wolzogen Kuhr和van der Vlugt提出因硫化還原菌引起陰極去極化的理論時，細菌、微生物腐蝕的研究方向均偏重於無氧環境之探討；然而近年來若干好氧菌類和微生物，亦被鑑認其在細菌腐蝕過程中也扮演著極重要的角色；因此本文的討論，將詳述細菌腐蝕產生的機理以及其防治對策。

Microorganisms growing on surfaces perform a variety of metabolic reactions, the products of which may promote the deterioration of the underlying substratum. These reactions refer to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) when the substratm consists of a metal or metal alloy. Microbiologically influenced corrosion has been considered mainly in anaerobic environments where sulfide-producing bacteria are active. Von Wolzogen Kuhr and van der Vlugt proposed a cathodic depolization process cused by sulfate-reducing bacteria. Since then other types of microorganisms, including aerobes, have been implicated in MIC. In the present paper, mechanisms of MIC and corrosion prevention are discussed