Physico - chemical apects of microbial and colloidal particle deposition on collector surfaces as measured in a parallel plate flow chamber.

The probability of growth of a biofilm at solid surfaces (e.g. in case of a microbial infection on a prosthesis) depends not only on the transport of bacteria towards a solid surface but also on the probability of adhesion. Bacteria will eventually come into contact with solicl surfaces due to diffusion, sedimentation and convection. Depending on the interaction forces between bacteria and solid surfaces, bacteria can adhere, move over these surfaces and desorb again into the suspending fluid. Simultaneous measurement of adsorption and desorption of bacteria al physico-chemically characterized surfaces, can result in a description of the deposition process in terms of attractive forces and the depth of the interaction potential. In most cases the electrostatic interaction between bacteria and solid surfaces is repulsive and adhesion is established by attractive Lifshitz-van der Waals forces and/or hydrophobic attraction. ... Zie: Summary