(Biological fouling)

Undesired deposition of material

Inorganic fouling on surfaces Materials obtained fro
Precipitation of inorganic crystals organic matter of soil produce
by decomposition of plant o
Organic fouling animal matte
Deposition of fat, oil, protein etc

Particle fouling
Deposition of clay, humic particles etc

Biofouling
Deposition and growth of microorganis
on surfaces – particles that can multiply
the expense of nutrie
 Undesired accumulation of
microorganisms, plants, algae and
animals
 Why is this important?
 What are the effects of biofouling?
 Why should we study this?
Because Biofouling has a bright future
Slime and mold behind washing soap intake box

Slime formation in tubes

Clothes are smelly if not dried properly
Toilet rinsing water reservoir
red and dark brown colour:
Bacterial and fungal biofilms in
Calciferous incrustations
Potential problem:
Dispersion of aerosols when flushing
Inner tubes of showers
Keratitis due to non-compatible biofilm on contact lense
Biofouling on teeth: cause for bad smell and caries
Biofouling in dialysis unit
Microbial contamination of an injection syringe
Contamination pathways in
catheter application
 Hole due to slime

Biofouling in Paper mills

Biofouling: a serious problem for cooling cycles in energy industry
Reduced Heat transfer
ncreased Drag resistance
Biocorrosion
Biofouling in water supply
 Also in power stations
 Fouling community

Micro fouling Macro fouling

• Biofilm formation Attachment of layer organisms
• Bacterial adhesion Ex:
Barnacles
Anthropod in sea
Mussels
Many bristles for attachmentPolychaete worms
Bryozoans – sea mats
Sea weeds
 Biofouling affects ships
severly
Leads to
• Decreased carrying capacity
• Increased (30%) fuel consumption
• Increased cost in maintenance
of shipping industry
• Increased (50%) marine transport
cost
 How to tackle the
problem?

Antifouling Strategies?
Remove accumulation

Prevent accumulation
Not so effective
• Primarily used – “Organotins”
(Tin with
hydrocarbons)
• Most widely used example for organotins
– “TBT” or “TPT”

Tri Butyl Tin

Tri Phenyl Tin

• Most commonly used antifouling agent
• Used as coatings in ships
• Very effective – Get rid of biofouling
once forever
Coatings toxic to marine environment
So used in lower concentration – not
effective

an
d
Defective shell growth in Oyster (> 20 ng/l)
Before After

• Development of male characters in

female dog whelk (> 1 ng/l)
 So, organotins banned !
Then what are the other methods?
• Cupronickels (Cu – 90% & Nickels –
10%) – tried for biofouling prevention.
Safety yet to be proved.
• Selection of metals – Ex. Zebra mussels
find Aluminium bronze distasteful. So
they avoid such metals
Disadvantages
• Not effective in ships that travel long
distance
• Biological and chemical nature of
microorganisms must be studied
 Other methods…
• Titanium
• Chlorination
• Pulse laser irradiation – not species
specific
 Fight nature with nature
itself (from worms) –
1.Nemertine pyridyl alkaloids
may be used for inhibition of
Barnacle larvae
2. Purified extract from Carribean sponges –
inhibit bacterial
attachment
3. Distaplia nathensis extract – inhibits mussel
4. Pseudoalteromonas sp. (marine bacteria) –
produces bioactive compounds with
inhibitory effect on algae and on barnacles
All the best

- Benedict