Legionella contd...
Legionella and Biofilms:Why biofilms form?
- Bacteria become attracted to surfaces for a number of reasons, including gravity and the negatively charged bacteria being attracted to positively charged surfaces. Bacteria are believed to be able to detect and move towards areas of high concentrations of nutrients.
- Primary coloniser's cells produce polysaccharides, which act as mucus layers and hold cells to the surface. This external slime captures other bacteria (secondary colonisers) that live and grow on the waste products produced by the primary colonisers. This becomes a microbiological community living in the slime
What happens if there are biofilms in a spa pool?
- Chlorine residual reduces rapidly
- Difficulty in attaining acceptable residual
- Difficulty in maintaining acceptable residual
- Musty smell in or near pool plant
- Operators or users showing any rashes or ‘flu –like symptoms
- Slime formation anywhere in the system which can appear as a gel like substance
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