Using artificial biofilm attachment experiments to understand the role of pipe wall biofilm on particle transport in distribution systems

摘要

Biofilm in water distribution systems (WDS) might play a role in modifying the temporal signature of human exposure to pathogens, and, as a result, potential disease risk. Nonmotile surrogate pathogens introduced into the WDS might attach and accumulate in the biofilm matrix and subsequently slough off.rnExperiments using biofilm annular reactors to study the microbial attachment process to pipe surface biofilm are described in this paper. Different flow conditions and resulting shear forces are proposed for different sizes of nonmotile pathogen surrogates. By mimicking biofilm with a gel matrix and aforementioned pathogens with fluorescent beads, biological uncertainties are minimized and detection limits are improved.rnA novel biofilm attachment model is being developed to interpret experimental data and predict pathogen transport within the experimental system and in WDS networks. The experimental results are proposed for use in estimating the unknown attachment parameter for the model.