Biofilm
Definition
A biofilm is a rigid layer formed by microorganisms bonding to a metal surface. It aids under-deposit corrosion by shielding the metal and depleting oxygen beneath it.
Biofilm converts vulnerable free-floating cells into a resilient surface community by building infrastructure between the organisms and the surface. It concentrates nutrients, slows diffusion of biocides, and creates internal chemical environments that diverge completely from the bulk water. Because it adapts to and recovers from chemical and physical pressure, it makes microbiological control fundamentally different from controlling scale or corrosion.
Related concepts
Biocide demand · Deposits · Planktonic cells
How it connects
- this drives Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC)
- this drives Deposits
- Biocide prevents this
- Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) enables this
Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🦠 biology