This article critically reviews important research findings on biofilm growth in DWDS, examining the factors affecting their formation and characteristics as well as the various technologies to characterize and monitor and, ultimately, to control their growth.

1. Published in: Environ. Sci. Technol. (2016) Ahead of Print
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00835
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.6b00835#showFigures

2. Published in: Environ. Sci. Technol. (2016) Ahead of Print
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00835
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.6b00835#showFigures
(a) Biofilm growth on different pipe materials. Reprinted with permission from Ren et al.(43) Copyright 2015, Springer.
(b) Biofilm life cycle in DWDS.
Background:
In drinking water distribution systems (DWDS), biofilm are the predominant mode of
microbial growth  present significant problems to drinking water industry: source of
bacterial contamination, bad taste and odor and promote corrosion of pipes.

3. Published in: Environ. Sci. Technol. (2016) Ahead of Print
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00835
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.6b00835#showFigures
Biofilm growth as affected by water characteristics and operational
conditions of the distribution systems

4. Published in: Environ. Sci. Technol. (2016) Ahead of Print
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00835
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.6b00835#showFigures
Schematic diagrams of sampling devices for biofilm monitoring
Robbins device (adapted from Manz et al.)
Pennine Water Group coupon (adapted from Deines et al.)
Corporation sampling device (reprinted with
permission from Donlan et al.; copyright 1994, Elsevier)
Biofilm sampler which consists of the coupon holder (B)
and the pipe (A) in which the holder with coupons were
placed (reprinted with permission from Juhna et al.)
copyright 2007, American Society for Microbiology)
Column filled with glass cylinders (A, water supply; B, water
discharge; C, valve; D, pressure-reducing valve; E, valve; F, glass
column; G, cylinders; H, flow meter; I, water meter; and J, valve;
reprinted with permission from Van der Kooij et al.; copyright 1995,
Elsevier)

5. Published in: Environ. Sci. Technol. (2016) Ahead of Print
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00835
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.6b00835#showFigures
(a) Epifluorescence images of biofilms on copper pipes with (1) aggregating bacteria and (2) homogeneously distributed
bacteria stained with the BacLight viability reagents. Green: bacteria with intact membranes. Red: bacteria with damaged
membranes. Scale bars =10 μm. (b) Environmental scanning electron micrographs of biofilms on copper surfaces. Images (1)–
(4) show the presence of multilayered bacterial aggregates with different morphologies on Cu surfaces. Note the multispecies
microbial communities in (3). Reprinted with permission from Jungfer et al. Copyright 2013, Taylor & Francis.

6. Published in: Environ. Sci. Technol. (2016) Ahead of Print
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00835
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.6b00835#showFigures
THANK YOU
Check out our other publication on biofilm formation and growth:
• Liu, S.; Killen, E.; Lim, M.; Gunawan, C.; Amal, R. The effect of common bacterial
growth media on zinc oxide thin films: identification of reaction products and
implications for the toxicology of ZnO RSC Adv. 2014, 4 ( 9) 4363– 4370, DOI:
10.1039/C3RA46177G
• Wonoputri, V.; Gunawan, C.; Liu, S.; Barraud, N.; Yee, L. H.; Lim, M.; Amal, R. Copper
Complex in Poly (vinyl chloride) as a Nitric Oxide-Generating Catalyst for the Control
of Nitrifying Bacterial Biofilms ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2015, 7 ( 40) 22148–
22156, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b07971