Engineering Commons^™

Determination Of Iron Colloid Size Distribution In The Presence Of Suspended Cells: Application To Iron Deposition Onto A Biofilm Surface, Waihung Lo, Yarrow M. Nelson, Leonard W. Lion, Michael L. Shuler, William C. Ghiorse

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Transport and deposition of colloidal Fe, Mn and Al oxides play key roles in the cycling of toxic transition metals in aquatic environments because these colloids strongly bind transition metals. Further, attachment of biological cells and biofilm growth on surfaces can indirectly affect toxic metal distribution by influencing the deposition of colloidal oxides to surfaces. To elucidate the mechanisms governing these processes, deposition of colloidal oxides onto surfaces must be evaluated in the presence of suspended and adherent bacterial cells. Both particle size and concentration are expected to influence deposition. An experimental protocol was developed to determine the size distribution …