Synthetic and biological surfactant effects on freshwater biofilm community composition and metabolic activity.

Surfactants are used to control microbial biofilms in industrial and medical settings. Their known toxicity on aquatic biota, and their longevity in the environment, has encouraged research on biodegradable alternatives such as rhamnolipids. While previous research has investigated the effects of biological surfactants on single species biofilms, there remains a lack of information regarding the effects of synthetic and biological surfactants in freshwater ecosystems.

Effects of intermittent flow on biofilms are driven by stream characteristics rather than history of intermittency.

Intermittent streams are found all over the world, however most studies focus on intermittency in hot, arid climates. As flow intermittency is expected to increase with climate change, it is important to understand how stream biofilms in temperate regions respond to these changing conditions. In this study, 20 different streams from around Austria were sampled under flowing and non-flowing conditions to evaluate the effect of intermittency on temperate stream biofilms.