Biocide selection

Definition

The shift of a microbial community toward tolerant organisms under repeated biocide exposure, countered by rotating biocide chemistries.

Repeated exposure does not just reduce populations, it selects for survivors that pass along traits like thicker EPS, slower growth, altered metabolism, and dormancy responses. Over time the system becomes adapted rather than sterile. Alternating oxidizing and non-oxidizing biocides attacks different targets with different mechanisms and disrupts the selection pressure that sustained single-approach exposure creates.

Related concepts

Oxidizing biocides · Non-oxidizing biocides · Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🦠 biology