The growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) affects several important parameters at the metal/solution interface of carbon steel in liquid media such as pH and redox potential values, as well as modifications of the composition and structure of corrosion product layers. Electrochemical techniques for corrosion assessment and surface analyses by energy dispersion X-ray analysis (EDAX), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), X-ray distraction (XRD) and electron microprobe analysis (EPMA)
complemented with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (MM) observations, were used to study the structure and composition of protective films on carbon steel in abiotic and biotic media containing different sulfur anions. The results revealed that in biotic and abiotic sulfide films the outer layers were formed by both FeS and FeS2,
although the relative content of these compounds varied in each case. Usually, the corrosion product films biotically formed were more adherent to the metal surface than those developed abiotically. The latter were flaky and loosely adherent, thus differing in their function during the corrosion process. Key words: SRB, sulfir anions, sulfide, sulfate, biofilms, abiotic, biogenic, Desulfovibrio, carbon steel.