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Effect of CaCO3 particles and suspended bacteria on biofilm components and activity in the model recirculating cooling water system

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Abstract

Biofilms are a serious problem in industrial recirculating cooling water systems. Biofilm formation and properties are affected by many factors, such as inorganic particles and suspended bacteria. In this research a laboratory model recirculating cooling water system was applied to investigate the effects of CaCO3 concentration and suspended bacterial count on extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) in the attached biofilms. In addition, nutrient level was also the key factor when investigating the effect of suspended bacterial count. The results showed that EPS content and DHA first increased and then decreased with the increase of CaCO3 concentration from 0 to 200 mg/l. At the low nutrient level, with the increase of suspended bacterial count from 4.04 to 5.78 log10 c.f.u./ml, biofilm EPS content decreased firstly and then increased. However, biofilm DHA always gradually increased. At the medium nutrient level, biofilm EPS content increased firstly and then decreased and DHA always gradually decreased when suspended bacterial count ranged from 4.04 to 5.78 log10 c.f.u./ml. At the high nutrient level, biofilm EPS content and DHA both showed the increasing trend with the increase of suspended bacterial count. This work provides the basis and reference for management strategies in actual recirculating cooling water systems.

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Abbreviations

c.f.u.:

Colony forming units

DHA:

Dehydrogenase activity

EPS:

Extracellular polymeric substance

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time

MPN:

Most probable number

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (project 20707040 and 21077133) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao, 266555, People’s Republic of China

    Fang Liu, Wenwen Dong, Fei Yang, Lei Lu, Yongqiang Wang, Xiaochen Yin & Chaocheng Zhao

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  1. Fang Liu
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  2. Wenwen Dong
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  3. Fei Yang
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  4. Lei Lu
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  5. Yongqiang Wang
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  6. Xiaochen Yin
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  7. Chaocheng Zhao
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Correspondence to Fang Liu.

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Liu, F., Dong, W., Yang, F. et al. Effect of CaCO3 particles and suspended bacteria on biofilm components and activity in the model recirculating cooling water system. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 28, 881–889 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-011-0885-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-011-0885-1

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