The corrosion of sewers and the control of odor are the major operatio
nal and maintenance problems in wastewater collection systems. The gen
eration of hydrogen sulfide and subsequent sulfuric acid results from
microbially mediated reactions, by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SBR) and
sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. This review covers pertinent information
about sulfate reduction-induced problems in general and SBR in particu
lar. Metabolism with respect to carbon, energy, and sulfur sources, ec
ology, growth factors (dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and sulfide)
, and the competitive effects of methane-producing bacteria on SBR are
discussed. Because metals react with sulfide to form metal sulfide pr
ecipitates with extremely low solubilities, metal interactions in sulf
ate reduction environments are discussed.