CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Different materials are being used as substratum in an experimental loop to study the microbial population deposited from La Plata, Argentina, city drinking water. The colonization and corrosion of pure and commercial metals forming these systems is being used to analyze the microbial effect on iron, zinc and copper network pipes. High purity samples are being simultaneously tested as reference metals and polypropylene as nonmetallic tubing for microbial deposition. In a second identical loop we have contaminated the flowing water with arsenic (As) in concentrations higher than the guide value suggested by the World Health Organization. The aim is to establish the effect of As+5 on the microbial population and other parameters controlling the water potabilization and distribution service. However, the high toxic effect observed on bacteria suggested changing the original working plan. Then any selective As ion fixation mechanism on the biofilm grown on the different substrata will also be analyzed starting from a highly contaminated network. The electrochemical effect on this mechanism will only be focused for the metallic materials. Results will help to select the best As ion elimination from the tubing inner deposit preventing its reincorporation from untreated networks.