TP26-26 The Development of a Novel Halogen Stabilizer for Enhanced Control of biofilm in cooling Water Systems

The microbial populations that inhabit industrial water systems can exist in two distinct modes: a form in which the cells are free-floating, also called planktonic, and a form in which the cells are attached to a surface, called sessile form.1   The conditions in which the organisms exist will dictate whether or not the organisms are planktonic or sessile.2  When attached to a surface, the organisms replicate on the surface and begin to produce a protective layer that was termed by Costerton3 as a biofilm.  The biofilm 
is defined as surface-associated microbial heterogeneous structures comprising different populations of microorganisms surrounded by a self-produced exopolysaccharide matrix that allows their attachment to inert or organic surfaces.3   As the immobilized cells continue to grow and produce additional amounts of extracellular polymer matrix, or slime layer, the biofilm grows and entraps other microorganisms, corrosion by-products, and debris typically found in industrial waters.  This process creates a complex community of organic and inorganic substances.^4