Characterization of biofilm development on artificial substratum in natural water

Abstract

In aquatic systems with large specific areas (bottom surface area/volume of water), such as shallow streams or rivers, the growth of biofilms often determines the rate at which environmental contaminants are removed and degraded. Thus, understanding biofilm growth is critical in predicting the ultimate fate of chemicals in the aquatic environment. Through sequential acid hydrolysis and HPLC analysis of biofilms, bacteria and algae, our study provided the first direct biochemical evidence that the origin and mass of a biofilm was mainly derived from bacterial activity, thus justifying the approach of using the major carbohydrate component of microorganisms to approximate the mass of a biofilm. Our data also demonstrated the potential applicability of the carbohydrate method for biofilm mass estimation in various aquatic environments, as biofilm mass can be readily determined in the presence of seawater and hard water.