PMEU as a tool for biofilm testing

PMEU Method was presented in PIRA Paper Industry Symposium, Barcelona, in October 2009. The basic PMEU model can be applied to diverse test types which help to construct biocide programs for the prevention of sessile and biofilm growth of bacteria in paper machines.

The picture above shows a typical test situation where process water sample, biocide and test coupon (made of steel) are installed in a PMEU syringe. Prevention of sessile growth can be monitored with ATP Assay, biofilm growth with UV Epifluorescence Microscopy.

In addition to the basic PMEU model, the novel PMEU Spectrion which measures the turbidity of all ten samples automatically, can be applied to any microbiological growth / growth prevention test of liquid or slurried samples from paper manufacturing processes. This device can handle also relatively turbid samples because it stops the mixing of the samples before turbidity measurement, allowing heavy particles (like mineral pigments) to sediment and enables therefore the measurement of bacterial cloudiness of the sample.