desinfection of biofilms - how to (Mar/03/2009 )

GeorgeWolff on Apr 7 2009, 12:34 PM said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_number

GeorgeWolff on Apr 7 2009, 10:34 PM said:

At first this sounds logic and I was also under this assumption however during my search for literature on the matterI did find some references that state the complete opposite. Some references speak of the fact that the higher the turbulence the higher the change that a biofilm is likely to occur. And also that the biofilms in water with a high turbulence are stronger than those in low turbulenced water.

I found this very strange but I did find an explanation in one of the references that does seem logic.

I have those references at home on my pc, however I am not at home now (untill friday) and can not upload the files here.
I will do this asap when I get home.

GeorgeWolf, one of the references is a text written by Costerton, the author you allready referred to here.

The difference may be that "Wild Bill" Costerton didn't work in pure water systems such as are used for pharmaceutical production.

GeorgeWolff on Apr 10 2009, 07:46 PM said:

Could be, but in his text he refers to industrial systems and natural systems and they use the word preferentially, prefer... its a delicat definition.
But indeed, those might be different from pure water systems.

Anyway, I still find it a suprising statement, since I would also think the slower the water the more biofilmformation.
I have to look for other texts that also speak about this, but do not know if I still have them.

check the link for the file (its too big to upload it here), and start reading from HOW MICROORGANISMS FORM BIOFILMS, page 2, and especially from Perhaps the first surprise, for the medical community... (second paragraph).

Thank you very much for the information pito and GeorgeWolff.

I think its strange that wild water would induce more biofilmsformation then slow water.

It doesn't necessarily do so.

here are 2 more very interesting references on how turbulence plays a rol in the formation of biofilm.

Its a very intersting debate on the link between turbulence and biofilmformation.

It isn't a debate - it's science.

Thanks for the files pito, I'll read them carefully.

@GeorgeWolff, it does seem to become some sort of debate, even some of my teacher to not agree with certain references , some are still debating about the influence of turbulence on biofilmformation.
They do not seem to agree.

It is no debate - the conditions and bugs are what determines the dynamic. Science is not a debate - it's an emperical art.
I doubt if any of your teachers have worked extensively wth biofilms.