[Qualitative and quantitative determination of bacterial populations in an aquatic environment. 7. Development of bacterial growth on raw materials exposed to potable water].

Refined steel plates coated with different materials that contained available organic compounds led to a microbial growth on the surface. Even plastics and bitumen which were used in the sphere of drinking water showed after an exposure time of three months up to 192 ml slime per square meter. The number of viable bacteria within the Aufwuchs was in the range of 10(7) cfu/ml. The production of slime increased with time. The relation of carbohydrate and protein content significantly changed from 2 at the beginning to 30 after 12 months of incubation the bitumen coating test plates. This indicates an increase synthesis of carbohydrate containing extracellular polymeric substances during the late phase of growth. The bacteria isolated from the Aufwuchs mainly belonged to the genera Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Acinetobacter, Caulobacter, sheated bacteria and other gramnegative physiologically nonreactiv roads. During exposure of the plates the relation changed within the bacterial communities of the main groups. Comparing the bacteria communities of inlet and outflow water it became evident that the later one was influenced by bacteria of the Aufwuchs.