Abstract
AbstractBiofilm formation in water supply pipes is ubiquitous despite the practice of keeping a certain level of disinfectant residual. Biofilms in water supply pipes play a dominant role in shaping the microbial community and governing the microbial quality of tap water. However, this role has long been overlooked largely due to the unavailability ofin situbiofilm monitoring tools and complexity of biofilm ecology. Recent development in molecular biology techniques has opened up a new window for biofilm studies, and thus sparked a new boom in research on biofilms in water supply pipes. This article introduces the new knowledge of occurrence and significance of biofilms in water supply pipes, their impacts on water quality and relationships with pipe corrosion. Then the factors affecting biofilm formation and methods to control it are elaborated. Furthermore, new insights into the microbial ecology of biofilms are presented, which include the dominant microorganisms and their potential roles in biofilms, the diversity and richness of the microbial communities, etc. At the end, future perspectives of research on biofilms in water supply pipes are discussed.
Published Version
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