Estudo da formação de biofilmes de pseudomonas aeruginosa em carvão ativado impregnado com cobre

Abstract

This work aimed to develop gravity filters with impregnated activated carbon (iAC) with copper and check its antimicrobial action in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation noting the possible bactericidal activity of copper. Pseudomonas aeruginosa are micro-organism that can cause infections difficult to treat, because they are resistant to multiple antibiotics. It is a nosocomial pathogen present in hospital source effluents. Copper was chosen to possess antimicrobial properties and to be the subject of studies that relate the presence of copper and the absence of several micro-organisms in one system. 8 samples were prepared activated coal of dendê’s coconut shell (Elaeis guineensis) with copper at concentrations of: 0.031, 0.096, 0.156, 0.165, 0.176, 0.287, 0.436 and 0.915% (m/m) which together with activated carbon without copper (AC) were characterized as the number of iodine and morphology by scanning electron microscopy method (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The samples were tested in the filtration of water containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the order of 106 colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). After filtration testing, the coal was incubated in a humidified chamber at room temperature for 24 hours, following the counting of the colonies in CFU/mL.The results obtained for activated carbon samples impregnated with copper showed bactericidal activity because the samples were able to reduce 1 log in viable cell count, until the total elimination of microorganisms to the activated carbon with 0.915% copper. The samples of (iAC) didn’t have a surface area affected by the presence of copper, because all samples showed regularly as the iodine number. The copper impregnations on activated carbon were effective, since leaching tests indicated a reduction of 1% copper of respective activated carbon. Keywords: Activated Carbon, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Copper.