The Impact of the Quality of Tap Water and the Properties of Installation Materials on the Formation of Biofilms

Abstract

The article presents changes in the quality of tap water depending on time spent in installation and its impact on the creation of biofilms on various materials (polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chrome-nickel steel and galvanized steel). For the first time, quantitative analyses of biofilm were performed using methods such as: Adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP) measurement, flow cytometry, heterotrophic plate count and using fractographical parameters. In the water, after leaving the experimental installation, the increase of turbidity, content of organic compounds, nitrites and nitrates was found, as well as the decrease in the content of chlorine compounds, dissolved oxygen and phosphorus compounds. There was an increase in the number of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria. In addition, the presence of Escherichia coli was also found. The analysis of the quantitative determination of microorganisms in a biofilm indicates that galvanized steel is the most susceptible material for the adhesion of microorganisms. These results were also confirmed by the analysis of the biofilm morphology. The roughness profile, the thickness of the biofilm layer can be estimated at about 300 μm on galvanized steel.