Protección catódica como método para controlar la fijación del mejillón dorado (Limnoperna fortunei) en la Entidad Binacional Yacyretá.

ROMAGNOLI, R., GARCÍA, M., STUPAK, M. Y PÉREZ, M.

Río de Janeiro, Brasil

Congreso; 5º Seminário de Proteção Catódica do 24º CONBRASCORR Congresso Brasileiro de Corrosão; 2004

Abstract   Yacyretá Hydroelectric Power Plant is located on Río Paraná and is one of the most important buildings of Argentinean civil engineering. Since the last decade many structures situated on Plata Basin have been invaded by Limnoperna fortunei, a southeastern Asian bivalve mollusk. In Yacyretá this golden mussel colonized different hard substrata, they invaded concrete walls, affected pipes, filters, pumps, etc. In relation with metallic substrates, L. fortunei favored the formation of aeration differential cells and the consequent pitting corrosion. In this paper results obtained for the application of cathodic protection (CP) as a control method for settlement of L. fortunei are presented. The effect of CP on submerged structures results in the formation of a high alkalinity in the interface metal/water, the application of this method for biofouling control is based on organism sensitivity to both alkaline pH and current flow. Experiments using CP at controlled potential applied on metallic probes in the laboratory and Yacyretá vanes were carried out. Mollusk bioactivity in the lab and settlement in function of time in the field were studied. After six months, experiments demonstrated that CP was effective for golden mussel control.