A physico-chemical model of microbial adhesion

Abstract

The initial adhesion of microorganisms to surfaces is traditionally considered in terms of two approaches. One, provided by the DLVO theory, that emphasizes the role of electrostatic interactions and the other, postulated by surface thermodynamics, that explains the role of surface hydrophobicity. A general framework has been proposed that couples the theory of surface forces and the Van Oss apolar–polar surface thermodynamic approach. A model of microbial adhesion has been presented and verified using adhesion data available.