The Influence of Material Surface Properties on Initial Bacterial Attachment and Biofilm Formation on Built Environment Surfaces

Biofilms in the built environment (BE) can harbor pathogens and have been linked with negative health outcomes, particularly in hospital environments. The formation of biofilms requires bacterial cell attachment on surfaces, such as hospital plumbing, which can have varying properties, including roughness, wettability, chemistry, and charge. Despite the importance of bacterial attachment to surfaces, the role of multiple surface properties has been minimally investigated. Using seven materials with differing surface characteristics, this work considers the initial attachment of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus to investigate the impact of several surface characteristics. Biofilm formation was evaluated to determine the impact of surface characteristics on longer-term attachment. The initial attachment of all bacterial species was not significantly influenced by material surface properties, with similar attachment seen across materials tested. Bacterial cell envelope morphology affected attachment, with Gram-negative species displaying greater attachment than Gram-positive species. Initial attachment was not related to biofilm formation, which was highest on stainless steel surfaces while differences between bacterial species remained.