Douterelo, I., Husband, S., Loza, V. et al. (1 more author) (2016) Dynamics of biofilm re-growth in drinking water distributions systems. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82 (14). pp. 4155-4168. ISSN 0099-2240
Abstract
The majority of biomass within water distribution systems is in the form of attached biofilm. This is known to be central to drinking water quality degradation following treatment yet little understanding of the dynamics of these highly heterogeneous communities exists. This paper presents original information on such dynamics with findings demonstrating patterns of material accumulation, seasonality and influential factors. Rigorous flushing operations repeated over a one-year period on an operational, chlorinated system in the UK are presented. Intensive monitoring and sampling were undertaken including time series turbidity and detailed microbial analysis using 16S rRNA Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Results show bacterial dynamics were influenced by differences in the supplied water and by the material remaining attached to the pipe wall following flushing. Turbidity, metals and phosphate were the main factors correlated with the distribution of bacteria in the samples. Coupled with the lack of inhibition of biofilm development due to chlorine residual, this suggests that limiting inorganic nutrients, other than organic carbon, might be a viable component in treatment strategies to manage biofilms. The research also showed that repeat flushing exerted beneficial selective pressure, thus also a viable advantageous biofilm management option. This work advances our understanding of microbiological processes in drinking water distribution systems and helps inform strategies to optimise asset performance. IMPORTANCE: This research provides with novel information regarding dynamics of biofilm formation in real drinking water distribution systems made of different materials. This new knowledge on microbiological process in water supply systems can be used to optimise the performance of the distribution network and to guarantee safe and good quality drinking water to consumers.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Douterelo et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL (EPSRC) EP/I029346/1 ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL (EPSRC) EP/G029946/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 31 May 2016 12:52 |
Last Modified: | 10 Mar 2017 11:05 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00109-16 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Society for Microbiology |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1128/AEM.00109-16 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:100266 |
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