Health Implications of Biofilms in Drinking Water Systems

Abstract

Pathogenic bacteria can be trapped and retained in biofilms in drinking water distribution systems for times that exceed their persistence in the water. Consequently, biofilms can be used as a tool for interrogating a drinking water system to determine if an agent has been added. Basic and applied research has provided insight on how to detect pathogens, how they are retained in biofilms, the behavior of these organisms in biofilms, a prototype device for capturing pathogens, and models for predicting pathogen presence and potential growth.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 19, 2009
Accession Number
ADA509095

Entities

People

  • Anne K. Camper

Organizations

  • Montana State University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Bacteria
  • Confocal Microscopy
  • Detection
  • Digestive System Processes
  • Drinking Water
  • Engineering
  • Environment
  • Escherichia Coli
  • Fungi
  • Gene Expression
  • Genetics
  • Listeria Monocytogenes
  • Microbiology
  • Microorganisms
  • Models
  • Pathogenic Bacteria

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Infectious Disease/Epidemiology

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Biotechnology - Bioremediation