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View/Open - ARAN - National University of Ireland, Galway

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Chapter 6<br />

considering the same concentration <strong>of</strong> disinfectants and contact times<br />

were used in both it would be reasonable to expect a similar result.<br />

The variation in methods may have contributed to differences in the<br />

apparent efficacy <strong>of</strong> the disinfectants against the bi<strong>of</strong>ilm formed. After the<br />

bi<strong>of</strong>ilm was treated with sodium hydroxide the bi<strong>of</strong>ilm was removed from<br />

the surface through sonication and cells were enumerated by viable counts<br />

using the plate count method. Therefore one hypothesis is that cells were<br />

viable on coupons after sodium hydroxide exposure but were more<br />

vulnerable to the effects <strong>of</strong> sonication used to detach bi<strong>of</strong>ilm from the<br />

coupon. However this would not explain why no viable cells were<br />

recovered from a 2 nd set <strong>of</strong> coupons treated with sodium hydroxide that<br />

were re-incubated in broth post treatment (no sonication).<br />

The difference in efficacy <strong>of</strong> sodium hydroxide may also be bi<strong>of</strong>ilm<br />

substratum related. The bi<strong>of</strong>ilm was formed on concrete using the CBR<br />

whereas the microtitre plate consists on polystyrene plastic wells.<br />

Polystyrene as a substratum was not studied in the CBR although<br />

polycarbonate plastic was involved in the CBR studies. The results<br />

presented in chapters 2 and 3 <strong>of</strong> this thesis indicated that the bi<strong>of</strong>ilm<br />

substratum can influence the density <strong>of</strong> bi<strong>of</strong>ilm formed. Previous authors<br />

have also suggested that difference in surface structure such as surface<br />

roughness may allow for resistance to disinfectants [102]. Korber et al.<br />

found the presence <strong>of</strong> crevices in glass resulted in increased bacterial<br />

survival compared with a smooth glass surface. It is also possible that the<br />

conditions for media flow and shear stress on bi<strong>of</strong>ilm formed in the CBR<br />

impacted in some way to enhance the porosity <strong>of</strong> bi<strong>of</strong>ilm allowing more<br />

rapid penetration <strong>of</strong> sodium hydroxide solution to all parts <strong>of</strong> the bi<strong>of</strong>ilm<br />

and therefore more efficient killing.<br />

The reason why sodium hydroxide was effective against bi<strong>of</strong>ilm formed in<br />

the CBR but not against bi<strong>of</strong>ilm formed in microtitre plate remains<br />

Page 204

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