Figure 1.

Graphical illustration of the experimental design used in this study. In the first experiment, the adhesion and biofilm formation of monospecies P. aeruginosa and E. coli were measured on PE, PSF, and PVDF membranes. (a) In a second experiment, the two microorganisms were mixed, and the adhesion and biofilm formation were enumerated. (b) The third experiment was performed in a culture vessel. Diluted activated sludge spiked with P. aeruginosa was used as model biofoulants. (c) The fourth experiment used real activated sludge as biofoulant and was done in a lab-scale MBR. In this set up, the microbial adhesion, the biofilm formation in the reactor, and the biofilm formation in Ringer's solution after 1 h adhesion in the reactor were measured (d).