Biofilm Monitoring System

Early detection of bacterial growth on surfaces

Monitoring & optimization of sanitation treatments

Developed in collaboration with

 INDEX

1. Industrial biofilm & biofouling ........................................................................................... 3

Biofilm life cycle ......................................................................................................... 3
Biofilm detection methods ......................................................................................... 5
2. The ALVIM System .......................................................................................................... 6
ALVIM System structure............................................................................................ 7
The probe .................................................................................................................. 8
3. Applications ..................................................................................................................... 9
Automated biocide dosing ......................................................................................... 9
Process optimization ............................................................................................... 10
Legionella risk prevention........................................................................................ 10
Application cases .................................................................................................... 10
Research Papers and Projects ................................................................................ 10
4. Summarizing .................................................................................................................. 11
5. Users of the ALVIM System ........................................................................................... 11
6. Contacts......................................................................................................................... 11

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 1. Industrial biofilm & biofouling
Microbial biofilm, the most important component of (micro) biofouling, represents a serious
technological issue, in particular where water is a critical process element.
For instance, in a heat exchanger system, a major component of any power plant, a 20
microns thick biofilm can cause a 30% decrease in thermal efficiency: biofilm, indeed, is up
to 4 times more insulating than calcium carbonate scale. Moreover, biofilm can increase
inorganic fouling, producing sticky substances that increase particles adhesion, and paves
the way to the settlement of larger organisms, the usually called macrofouling. Such
organisms can constrict water flow, thus increasing energy consumption, in order to
compensate for the reduced pipeline diameter. These problems can eventually lead to
pipeline blockages and plant stopping.
Besides, biofilm is responsible for microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), which
accounts for multi-billion dollars worth of damage in industrial facilities all over the world.

Biofilm life cycle

Since late '70s, extensive researches have been carried out on the complex biofilm
biological and biochemical structure, but many aspects of its formation are still under study.
Nevertheless, considering a liquid environment, it is possible to divide biofilm life cycle in
three different phases:

Fig. 1: Biofilm life cycle

1. Attachment-colonization. In this phase the first bacteria (known as “pioneers”) attach to

the surface, coming from the liquid bulk.
2. Growth. Pioneer bacteria start multiplying in a sessile phase and spread, covering the
available surface. Bacteria-formed colonies grow into complex three-dimensional
structures, covered by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which shelter them from
external attacks (such as biocides or antibiotics).
3. Detachment. The biofilm reaches, eventually, a pseudo-equilibrium condition, where
outmost layers tend to detach under flow mechanical stress, and float away. This further
increases the likelihood of biofilm formation in other sections of the line, with respect to
the simple presence of planktonic bacteria (free in the liquid phase).

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 Fig. 2: SEM images of increasing surface coverage by early stage biofilm

Let us remark how difficult and expensive can be, both in terms of biocide concentration and
contact time, to deal with a biofilm in phase 3, with respect to a phase 1-2 biofilm. As a
matter of fact, since the first growth of the EPS matrix, biofilm resistance to external agents
can increase by three order of magnitude (x1000). This means that, when a sanitation
treatment (e.g. a biocide) is applied:
• if biofilm is in its early phase (Fig. 3, on the left), it can be completely removed;
• if it is a mature one (Fig. 3, on the right), it is much more difficult to completely destroy
it.
In the first case, after the treatment biofilm will need a longer time to grow again, while in
the second case, since there will be still alive bacteria, it will regrow quickly.
It is often very difficult to
predict which conditions
will boost biofilm growth.
Such phenomenon can
be influenced by many
different factors, such as
temperature, season,
pH, dissolved oxygen,
presence of chemicals,
etc.

Fig. 3: Effectiveness of biocide treatments on different phases

of biofilm development

The considerations listed above justify the massive industrial interest in new sensors and
technologies able to detect biofilm formation, and monitor its very first growth. Such
technologies can be effectively applied in many industrial fields, from power plant heat
exchangers to cooling towers, from food & beverage production to reverse osmosis
desalination.

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Biofilm detection methods
Many biofilm detection methods were proposed so far, but we shall describe two main
effective approaches to biofilm real-time monitoring in industrial environments:
• indirect methods based on (usually thermal or mechanical) efficiency measures;
• direct methods based on detection of the electrochemical activity associated with
biofilm growth.
The first approach estimates biofilm
growth measuring the variation,
induced by fouling, of several
(mechanical or thermal)
parameters. This kind of approach
cannot detect a layer thinner than
30-40 microns, therefore allows
only the detection of mature biofilms
(see Fig. 4).
Moreover, the sensors based on
this kind of approach cannot
discriminate between biofilm and
other kinds of fouling, such as
scaling (mineral deposit).
On the other hand, it is very
important to act as early as possible
against biofilm, possibly in the very Fig. 4: Sensitivity comparison among different biofilm
first stages of growth, with suitable detection methods

sanitation treatments (chemical,

thermal, UV, etc.), in order to find the optimal trade-off between efficacy, costs and plant
protection. This is possible using electrochemical sensors.

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 2. The ALVIM System
The ALVIM System is based on a sophisticated technique for the measurement of biofilm
electrochemical signal.
It is well known that biofilm, both in natural and in industrial waters, affects the kinetics of
oxygen reduction on the underlying metal surface, therefore biofilm growth can be measured
by electrochemical methods. The proposed technology, developed in collaboration with the
Institute of Marine Sciences of the Italian National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR,
http://www.ismar.cnr.it), has been implemented by coupling advanced signal conditioning
with digital, microprocessor-
driven, electronic stage. The
ALVIM Biofilm Sensor measures
the natural electrochemical
activity of biofilm, indicating its
real presence and extent
(percentage of surface area
covered by bacteria) in a given
moment. Scientific studies
confirm that the information
provided by the ALVIM System is
representative of biofilm growth
inside the pipeline/tank where the
sensor is installed. Fig. 5: Correlation between ALVIM signal and biofilm growth

Most of the other sensors available on the market can monitor only “generic deposit”
(including mineral deposit, organic molecules, etc.), while ALVIM detects just biofilm growth.
This is extremely important, since different kinds of fouling require different treatments
(antiscaling for mineral deposit, biocide for bacteria, etc.).
The ALVIM Technology allows for an effective and reliable detection of biofilm since its early
stage. Biofilm growth monitoring is proven to be stable and highly sensitive (down to 1% of
surface area covered by biofilm)1.
To make the use of ALVIM Sensor as easy as possible for the technical staff of any industrial
plant, a threshold approach was chosen. This means that the sensor shows a fast increase
in its signal when biofilm coverage exceeds a chosen threshold (see Fig. 5 and Fig. 9). It is
like an on/off signal indicating “no biofilm” / “biofilm growth, need to clean”.
This approach allows for a simple and flexible use of ALVIM Biofilm Sensor, considering
different applications, such as:
1. analysis and characterization of bacterial growth in terms of frequency and intensity
in industrial water systems;

1
Exploiting a new electrochemical sensor for biofilm monitoring and water treatment optimization - Published
on Water Research 45 (2011), pp. 1651-1658 (http://alvimcleantech.com/go/pavanello_et_al_2011)

© ALVIM Srl 6 www.alvim.it

 2. assessment and comparative evaluation of different biocides or antifouling
treatments;
3. real-time, continuous monitoring of water treatment (e.g. for redundant equipment
control);
4. automatic and/or remote control and optimization of industrial water treatment.
It has been largely demonstrated that these approaches can be easily implemented by end-
users, even without a strong expertise in biofilm-related issues.
The possibility of connecting multiple probes at the same time, with a spatially distributed
approach, is granted by the underlying technological architecture, allowing for several
advanced applications, such as:
• distributed water treatment systems, realized installing several interconnected ALVIM
probes in different sections of the water system, to monitor biofilm growth in different
conditions;
• remotely operated water treatment systems, based on a network of ALVIM Sensors
collecting real-time data on biofilm growth;
• seamless integration of several sensors, beside ALVIM biofilm probe, in order to
integrate and enhance the assessment and characterization of industrial water
systems.

ALVIM System structure

An ALVIM Biofilm Monitoring System (Fig. 6) includes one or more sensors, connected to a
data acquisition system (PLC, DCS, PC, etc.). Standard communication protocols (RS485
MODBUS, 4-20 mA) are used. For more info, please visit:
http://www.alvimcleantech.com/biofilmsensor

Fig. 6: General overview of an ALVIM Biofilm Monitoring System

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The probe
ALVIM Biofilm Sensor allows for a real-time measurement of bacterial growth, and its
possible decrease due to sanitation treatments.
The sensor can be easily connected to any water system (pipelines, tanks, etc.), and
requires just one cable for data communication and power supply.
The sensor (composed by a sensitive element and an electronic board) is based on an
innovative electrochemical technology, able to detect biofilm coverage since its very first
phase. Besides revealing and monitoring biofilm growth, ALVIM probe is sensitive to
oxidizing substances (as many biocides are). This allows for a real-time monitoring of
biocide application, providing additional information on the effectiveness of sanitation
treatments.

Fig. 7: ALVIM sensors. More info at

http://www.alvimcleantech.com/biofilmsensor

© ALVIM Srl 8 www.alvim.it

 3. Applications
Automated biocide dosing
The most common approach to biofilm
prevention in industrial plants consists in
treating process water with chemicals
(biocides) in order to limit biofilm
formation.
These chemicals, often chlorine
compounds (e.g. chlorine dioxide), pose
several environmental risks, and their
extreme toxicity makes them dangerous
for operators.
Without a reliable measurement of biofilm Fig. 8: Biofilm prevention in industrial water systems
growth, biocides are usually applied in a
"heuristic" way, basing on user experience. Often this approach leads to an insufficient
treatment or to an "overdose" causing, in the first case, a limited protection from biofilm or,
in the second case, a waste of chemicals, with environmental and economic damages.
It should be observed that biocides effect on biofilm is strongly influenced by its growth stage
(Fig. 3). During its early stage of development, biofilm is highly vulnerable to biocides (mainly
due to the absence of EPS matrix, which acts as a "shelter" for bacteria), while in more
advanced stages biofilm has a stronger resistance to toxics, requiring higher concentration
of biocides to achieve the required effect.
Fig. 9 shows an example
of ALVIM System use for
cleaning treatment
optimization. As soon as
ALVIM Sensor detects
biofilm growth inside the
water line, the cleaning
treatment is started. In this
way it is possible to obtain
the best results in terms of
overall efficiency of the
process (sanitation
effectiveness, economic
savings, preservation of
components / materials,
Fig. 9: ALVIM-triggered sanitation treatments inside the seawater
pipeline of a reverse-osmosis desalination plant use and discharge of
chemicals).
On the other side, in processes requiring a presence of bacteria as low as possible, ALVIM
Technology can be used to verify that biofilm never grows.

© ALVIM Srl 9 www.alvim.it

Process optimization
The availability of a precise, real-time monitoring of biofilm growth since its early stages is
extremely important for an effective sanitation treatment. The main advantages of such a
monitoring system can be summarized as follow:
• evaluation of sanitation effectiveness and, in particular, of the different biocides used
in a plant;
• timely alert in case of malfunctioning of the disinfection system;
• automated biocide dosing depending on the real needs.

Legionella risk prevention

Biofilm represents the ideal environment for the survival of bacterial colonies potentially very
dangerous to human health as, for example, Legionella pneumophila. These bacteria are
known to proliferate in cooling systems with direct air/water exchange (cooling towers, air
conditioners, etc.) and they can pass to the air during spraying.
In the air, dangerous bacterial colonies can travel for kilometers, representing a possible
hazard.
It is therefore important to contrast biofilm formation, to minimize the risk of dangerous
bacterial contamination. ALVIM was proved to be an essential tool for preventing such
threats.

Application cases
Success stories regarding the use of ALVIM Sensors in different fields are available on
AVLIM website:
http://www.alvimcleantech.com/cms/en/cases

Research Papers and Projects

Articles demonstrating the effectiveness and reliability of ALVIM Technology, and Research
Projects where ALVIM Biofilm Sensors have been scientifically validated can be found at:
http://www.alvimcleantech.com/cms/en/research

© ALVIM Srl 10 www.alvim.it

 4. Summarizing

A real-time, precise information on biofilm presence and growth in water systems is

assuming an increasing importance. In absence of these indications, industries should rely
on "spot" monitoring of planktonic bacteria and on a heuristic water treatment with biocides.
These treatments are often carried out without taking into account the dynamic behavior of
the system, which is influenced by several variables (temperature, season, etc.). The
consequences are a less efficient water treatment, an increase in the costs and in the
environmental hazard.
Biofilm control can be greatly improved using the ALVIM Technology, since it:
• encourages the "wise" use of biocides, reducing environmental impact and staff
exposure;
• minimizes the health risk linked to an uncontrolled growth of microbes;
• allows for a modulation of biocide treatment based on the real needs;
• ensures a 24/7 monitoring;
• provides a direct control of biocide effectiveness and of disinfection system efficiency;
• partially or completely automates the treatment, minimizing the need of in-situ
operations;
• enables remote monitoring and control of treatment systems.

5. Users of the ALVIM System

Among the users of the ALVIM Biofilm Monitoring System:

6. Contacts

ALVIM Srl, Genova (Italy)

www.alvim.it | [email protected] | +39 0108566345

© ALVIM Srl 11 www.alvim.it