The interaction of a manganese-oxidising bacterium as part of a biofilm growing on distribution pipe materials
The deposition of manganese within a biofilm growing on the surface of high-density polyethlene (HDPE) and polyvinychloride (PVC) was studied over a period of four months. The manganese rich water used in the study was inoculated with a manganese oxidising Pseudomonas spp. The level of Mn2+ in the water was monitored and was found to decrease as the biofilm formation increased. This was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis which showed the detection of manganese was dependent on the presence of a biofilm. After two months a 100% removal of Mn2+ was observed in all the flasks inoculated by the Pseudomonas spp. and manganese micro-nodules, the formation of which were reported in Murdoch and Smith (1999), were being formed in large clusters across the surfaces of both the HDPE and PVC. The manganese peak area from the EDS spectrum analysis of the micro-nodules was significantly larger than was measured in the biofilm when these micro-nodules were absent. The scanning confocal laser microscope (SCLM) images of three-week samples showed high bacterial activity around areas where manganese micro-nodules were starting to form on the pipe surface.