MARKtoe! NOVEMBER 2023 Uitgawe 110 | Page 45

GARDEN ZONE ADVERTISEMENT-ARTICLE have a negative effect .

Biofilms can be difficult to remove and can cause risks to humans and animal health . For example , with cystic fibrosis a biofilm can form in the lungs leading to adverse symptoms . Dental plaque is another example of a bacterial biofilm ; this can lead to cavities and gum disease . Several other bacterial conditions may also be caused by biofilms including cholera , tuberculosis , and Legionnaire ’ s disease .

Due to low costs and established routines , chlorine disinfection is currently the main chemical strategy used to control microbiological threats in water systems . Unfortunately , high chlorine disinfection concentrations lead to an increase in the production of potentially carcinogenic by-products , such as haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes which are hazardous to health . Penetration of some layers is possible but will likely result in a wider issue as the damaged biofilm will disperse and spread to other surfaces . Biofilms ’ increased resistance to conventional disinfection processes and the potentially hazardous by-products of chlorine disinfection means that new approaches to biofilm removal are required .

Research has shown that Ultra Stabilised Hydrogen peroxide disinfectants had significantly

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