Comparison of Biofilm Formed on Stainless Steel and Copper Pipe Through the Each Process of Water Treatment Plant

Abstract

Biofilm formed on stainless and copper in water treatment plant was investigated for sixteen weeks. Biofilm reactor was specially designed for this study. It was similar to that of a real distribution pipe. Raw water, coagulated, settled, filtered and treated water were used in this study. The average number of heterotrophic bacteria counts was 1.6 × 10 4 CFU/ml, 5.8 × 10 3 CFU/ml, 1.8 × 10 3 CFU/ml, 1.3 × 10 2 CFU/ml, 1 CFU/ml, respectively. Density of biofilm bacteria formed on stainless and copper pipes in raw, coagulated and settled water increased above 2.9 × 10 3 CFU/cm 2 within second weeks while more biofilm bacteria counts were found on the stainless pipe than on the copper pipe. In case of filtered water (free residue chlorine 0.44 mg/L), there was no significant difference in the number of biofilm bacteria on both pipes and biofilm bacteria below 18 CFU/cm 2 were detected on both pipe materials after fifth weeks. Biofilm bacteria were not detected on both pipe materials in treated water (free residue chlorine 0.88 mg/L). According to the results of DGGE analysis, Sphingomonadacae was a dominant species of biofilm bacteria formed on the stainless pipe while the copper pipe had Bradyrhizobiaceae and Sphingomonadaceae as dominant bands. In case of filtered water, a few bands (similar to Propionibacterium sp., Sphingomonas sp., Escherichia sp., and etc.) that have 16S rRNA sequences were detected in biofilm bacteria formed on both pipes after fifth weeks. Stainless pipe had higher species richness and diversity than the copper pipe.