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Biofilm-forming bacteria with varying tolerance to peracetic acid from a paper machine

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Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

Biofilms cause runnability problems in paper machines and are therefore controlled with biocides. Peracetic acid is usually effective in preventing bulky biofilms. This study investigated the microbiological status of a paper machine where low concentrations (≤15 ppm active ingredient) of peracetic acid had been used for several years. The paper machine contained a low amount of biofilms. Biofilm-forming bacteria from this environment were isolated and characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, whole-cell fatty acid analysis, biochemical tests, and DNA fingerprinting. Seventy-five percent of the isolates were identified as members of the subclades Sphingomonas trueperi and S. aquatilis, and the others as species of the genera Burkholderia (B. cepacia complex), Methylobacterium, and Rhizobium. Although the isolation media were suitable for the common paper machine biofoulers Deinococcus, Meiothermus, and Pseudoxanthomonas, none of these were found, indicating that peracetic acid had prevented their growth. Spontaneous, irreversible loss of the ability to form biofilm was observed during subculturing of certain isolates of the subclade S. trueperi. The Sphingomonas isolates formed monoculture biofilms that tolerated peracetic acid at concentrations (10 ppm active ingredient) used for antifouling in paper machines. High pH and low conductivity of the process waters favored the peracetic acid tolerance of Sphingomonas sp. biofilms. This appears to be the first report on sphingomonads as biofilm formers in warm water using industries.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Finnish Graduate School for Applied Biosciences (ABS), the Academy of Finland Center of Excellence grant for “Photobiomics” (118637), and Kemira Pulp & Paper Chemicals. We thank Juhana Ahola and Jaakko Ekman for expert advice and the staff at the paper mills for help in sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Stiina Rasimus, Douwe Hoornstra & Mirja Salkinoja-Salonen

  2. Kemira Oyj, P.O. Box 44, 02271, Espoo, Finland

    Marko Kolari

  3. Department of Forest Sciences/Statistics and Methodology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Hannu Rita

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  1. Stiina Rasimus
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Correspondence to Stiina Rasimus.

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Fig. S1

Densely yellow colonies of Sphingomonas sp. PVS52 and of its variant, PVS51, forming translucently yellow colonies. The image was taken of a plate of R2A agar (pH 7, grown at 37°C for 3 days) and the different colony forms are marked with arrows. PVS52 but not PVS51 attached to and grew as biofilm on a polystyrene surface (Fig. 1). (TIFF 957 kb)

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Rasimus, S., Kolari, M., Rita, H. et al. Biofilm-forming bacteria with varying tolerance to peracetic acid from a paper machine. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 38, 1379–1390 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-010-0921-4

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