University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Bacterial identification today is dominated by reductionists who reduce bacteria to a just a set of chemical labels. This book takes the more holistic, applied approach to deal with the bacteria that are out therein the real environment commonly operating in communities that are dynamic in form, function and structure. This second edition of the atlas differs radically from the first by introducing the whole concept of bacteria community intelligence as reflected in corrosion, plugging, and shifts in the quality parameters in the product whether they be water, gas, oil, food, or even air. It provides key answers to the people in the field who have to deal with bacterial problems on a day-to-day basis. The book allows readers to start with the symptom, uncover the bacterial activities, and then indentify the communities distinctly enough to allow management and control practices that minimize the damage. This broad spectrum approach is new to this edition. Wells, whether water, gas, or oil, all suffer from some level of bacterial infestation that can lead to the well failing. This book shows how to identify the bacterial activities that are integral in the management of the well. Corrosion is a billion dollar a year cost to industry. Much of corrosion is caused not by straight chemical processes but by the activities of bacterial communities infesting the steel or concrete and causing premature failure. Ochres are very common forms of iron that terminate as pig iron. That process is bacteriologically influenced and this book illustrates which and when bacteria get involved in ochrous events.