Revealed: The bacteria eating the ground from under our feet
IT IS no wonder the roads of Scunthorpe are peppered with potholes.
That is because boffins have revealed residents in the town are having the ground eaten from under their feet by greedy bacteria.
-
Scunthorpe is built on tonnes of iron ore that experts believe could supply the steel-making industry for 50 years.
But scientists say a newly-discovered bacteria called Friopolla is feasting on the ore.
BLINDS & CURTAINS MADE 2 MEASURE WE COVER SCUNTHORPE & GRIMSBY...
View detailsFREE MAEASURING AND FITTING SERVICE PHONE 809887 FOR A FREE QUOTE www.grimsby-sunblinds.co.uk
Contact: 01472 809887
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
Now experts from the Geology Society say the ore will be eaten away in 20 years.
A spokesman for the society said: "Our research would back up reports that the town is in danger of falling apart."
A spokesman for the Department of Civil Engineering (DoCE) said: "I think Scunthorpe has maybe 15 or 20 years left. I don't think it will have too much longer than that.
"It has already lasted since 1937, but eventually there will be nothing left but a rust stain."
The bacteria – from the family Hematite Skumus – was discovered in rust collected from disused quarries by a team of scientists in 1991.
The rust is home to a host of micro-organisms from which Friopolla was isolated and found to be the one eating the iron.
Its destructive tendencies mean the rust will eventually disintegrate into a fine powder.
The DoCE spokesman said: "The rust is made from a composition of different micro-organisms and there is one particular bacteria which particularly likes eating iron.
"We have now identified the one which particularly likes eating iron.
"To explain it in human terms, not every type of bacteria has the same taste, so if you present different people with a plate of chocolate and cheese some may prefer one and some the other.
"This is a type of bacteria which particularly likes eating iron.
"Nature is very clever, and everything is recalled eventually. Nature makes it, and nature claims it back."
Iron ore was first discovered in North Lincolnshire in the 1860s and led to the start of steel-making in Scunthorpe in 1890.
It was mined locally until the 1960s but the industry then started using better- quality ore from abroad.
Comments
by BewareThatScunthype, com
Saturday, April 02 2011, 4:27PM
“Other than Scunthype's easily hoodwinked naive and gullible.
Surely for most others, the game must have been up with the line:
"Our research would back up reports that the town is in danger of falling apart."
Some up to date piece of research, that must have been!!?? :-)”
by buggs, barton upon humber
Friday, April 01 2011, 8:13PM
“Its true, its true I tell ya, if you lay down in West Street at about 0300 you can hear the bacteria eating away. And talking to each other.”
by Got me, Belton
Friday, April 01 2011, 4:07PM
“Haha, very good, pleased I read the comments otherwise I'd have definitely felt a total Friopolla”
by Lostsoul63, Scunthorpe
Friday, April 01 2011, 3:07PM
“actually the bacteria destroying scunthorpe is called Line consilio aquilonem”
by Andrew Longcake, Scunthorpe
Friday, April 01 2011, 3:06PM
“actually the bacteria destroying scunthorpe is line Consilio Aquilonem”
by wearenotamused, grumpville
Friday, April 01 2011, 10:20AM
“Must try Harder ST!!”
by Bob, El Scunthorpe
Friday, April 01 2011, 9:34AM
“It's funny when you realise what 'friopolla' (or frio polla) means, even if not entirely grammatically correct...”
by Fooled not !, Scunthorpe
Friday, April 01 2011, 9:29AM
“Hilarious 'Friopolla' :-)”
by Mr Claypole, Killing myself laughing (not)
Friday, April 01 2011, 9:18AM
“The worst April Fool's "Joke" ever, but it's more accurate than ST's usual rubbish.”