Surfactants and the attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to 3CR12 stainless steel and glass

Five non-ionic and three anionic surfactants were evaluated using 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylidole (DAPI) staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectrophotometry for their efficacy in preventing adhesion and removing Ps. Aeruginosa attached to 3CR12 stainless steel coupons and glass. All the surfactants tested gave more than 90% inhibition of adhesion to the surfaces tested with no significant difference between the effectivity of the different anionic surfactants (p > 0.18) nor between the effectivity of the non-ionic surfactants (p > 0.16). The non-ionic and anionic surfactants resulted in more than 80% and 63% removal of attached Ps. Aeruginosa cells, respectively. The non-ionic surfactants were significantly more effective in removing attached bacteria, than the anionic surfactants (p < 0.001). The prevention of attachment of Ps. Aeruginosa cells to a glass surface, using the surfactants, was also monitored spectrophotometrically. There was no significant difference (p = 0.437) when comparing the DAPI - staining technique with spectrophotometric evaluations. WaterSA Vol.27(1) 2001: 21-26