Bacteria are microscopic life forms and are unicellular organisms or prokaryotes. They are ubiquitous and are present in almost all types of environment. Among the large variety of bacteria, many are useful to us, while some are harmful to us.
Harmful bacteria are those that have some negative effect on us. Among these harmful bacteria, the bacteria that cause disease or infection can be termed as pathogens. Some of the pathogenic bacteria include Escherichia coli O157:H7 (causes diarrhea and kidney damage), Salmonella (causes food poisoning), Staphylococcus (causes pneumonia), etc.
Apart from causing diseases, bacteria can also eat up metals. They can cause the corrosion of ships and other metallic objects. The protection of such surfaces cost a lot of money every year worldwide. Bacteria can also develop in pipelines and on membranes or filters. This is known as biofouling and needs to cleaned up to ensure smooth functioning of processes (such as filters at water treatment plants, membranes at sewage treatment plants, etc.).
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