Use of biocides and surfactants to control biofilms : Role of the hydrodynamic conditions

ISBN-13: 9783639167450 / Angielski / MiÄ™kka / 2009 / 264 str.

Manuel Simões

Opis

Biofilms constitute a protected growth modality that allows the bacteria to survive in hostile environments. The most common practice to eliminate unwanted biofilms is the application of antimicrobial agents. However, current disinfection practices show often inefficacy in the control of biofilms.The main goals of this work were the development of effective strategies, based on the application of chemical agents, in order to control biofilms formed by Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the evaluation of the impact of the hydrodynamic conditions under which biofilms were formed, in the phenotypic characteristics of the biofilms, as well as, in their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents.The antimicrobial agents tested were two non-oxidizing aldehyde-based biocides (ortho-phthalaldehyde and glutaraldehyde), two oxidizing biocides (sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite) and two surfactants (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and sodium dodecyl sulfate). The antimicrobial agents were selected due to their emergent and practical application in several industrial areas.

O autorze

Manuel Simões is graduated in Biological Engineering and
received a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the
University of Minho. He is currently Assistant Professor and
member of the LEPAE at the Department of Chemical Engineering
from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto.