Surfactants and the attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to 3CR12 stainless steel and glass

Five non-ionic and three anionic surfactants were evaluated using 4'6-diami dino-2-phenylidole (DAPI) staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectrophotometry for their efficacy in preventing adhesion and removing Ps . aeruginosa attached to 3CR12 stainless steel coupons and glass. All the s urfactants tested gave more than 90% inhibition of adhesion to the surfaces tested with no significant difference between the effectivity of the diffe rent anionic surfactants (p > 0.18) nor between the effectivity of the non- ionic surfactants (p > 0.16). The non-ionic and anionic surfactants resulte d in more than 80% and 63% removal of attached fs. aeruginosa cells, respec tively. The non-ionic surfactants were significantly more effective in remo ving attached bacteria, than the anionic surfactants (p < 0.001). The preve ntion of attachment of Ps. aeruginosa cells to a glass surface, using the s urfactants, was also monitored spectrophotometrically. There was no signifi cant difference (p = 0.437) when comparing the DAPI - staining technique wi th spectrophotometric evaluations.