ABSTRACT
The existence of biofilms was first recognized in soil (Söhngen, 1913), and later studied in aquatic environments (Henrici, 1933; Zobell, 1943; Mekalanos, 1992). Since then much progress has been made in understanding the ecology and physiology of adherent microorganisms (Characklis and Marshall, 1990; Lappin-Scott et al., 1992). The adhesion event exerts a profound effect on bacteria. Attachment alters their physiological processes (Costerton et al., 1987; Davies and McFeters, 1988; Kölbel-Boelke and Hirsch, 1989), their surface structures (Rosenberg et al., 1967; Costerton et al., 1981; Costerton and Lappin-Scott, 1989; Marshall, 1992; Wolfaardt and Cloete, 1992) and their relationships to the bulk fluid (Wolfaardt et al., 1992; Lau and Liu, 1993). Both biofouling and microbiologically influenced corrosion are phenomena that are linked to the existence, properties and activities of biofilms. Biofilm processes are manifested in many forms and are studied by researchers from a wide variety of disciplines. There are numerous industrial environments where corrosion and biofouling processes are potentially troublesome, including cooling water systems, storage tanks, water and wastewater treatment facilities, filters, piping, and drinking water distribution systems (Flemming and Geesey, 1990).
