Robert,
I can't think how to do this in situ I am afraid but I can suggest a simple
method if you *could* remove a little bit of membrane.
Now don't laugh, this method worked very well for measuring bacterial
colony profiles around the 0 to 200 µm range. I mentioned it to Jimmy
Walker in Porton on the phone a minute ago, he thought I should put it up!
You can get a profile of thicknesses by blowing a very fine powder over the
surface of the film, then use the fine control of a microscope (it must
have calibration scales on the fine control) and focus first on a place
where there is no biofilm, record the fine control reading, then take a
series of measurements over the biofilm region. This can give you a profile
of depths which are really quite accurate. Do it if possible in a
humid/water saturated environment so the sample does not dry out or else it
shrinks.
The powder we used was "Roses, roses" talcum powder by AVON. Our sample of
Johnsons Baby Powder was too coarse................!
Good luck. Who said old technology was dead!?
Julian
>Hello.
>I am involved in nitrate removal from underground water by reverse
>osmosis in Italy .
>I will be grateful for anyone`s help on the following.
>I'm looking for a method to mesure the tickness of the biofilm on the
>membrane if it is possible without removing the membrane from the pilot
>plant.
>I am also interested in microsensor for the mesure of pH, and "organic
>substances".
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>To reply to the group as well as to the originator, make sure that
>the address biofilms at net.bio.net is included in the "To:" field.
>>See the BIOFILMS homepage at http://www.im.dtu.dk/biofilms for info
>on how to (un)subscribe and post to the Biofilms newsgroup.
**********************************************************
Professor Julian Wimpenny
Cardiff School of Biosciences,
Main College,
Cardiff University,
Cathays Park,
Cardiff CF1 3TL
Wales, UK
tel: +44 (0) 1222 874974
fax +44 (0) 1222 874305
email: WimpennyJ at cf.ac.uk
**********************************************************
-------------------------------------------------------------------
To reply to the group as well as to the originator, make sure that
the address biofilms at net.bio.net is included in the "To:" field.
See the BIOFILMS homepage at http://www.im.dtu.dk/biofilms for info
on how to (un)subscribe and post to the Biofilms newsgroup.
