Bacterial adhesion to zirconium surfaces

Zirconium alloys are well-known for their resistance to harsh chemical environments. In the interest of assessing the potential of this class of materials for bio-implant applications, we need to determine if this environmental stability transfers to biological systems. We report on our use of viable counts and infrared spectroscopic techniques to monitor how well thermally processed Zircaloy-2 surfaces resist bacterial adhesion. Specifically, we test the propensity of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and mixtures of all three to adhere to zirconium alloy surfaces. Our data and statistical analyses include stationary and shaken broth cultures and differently prepared surfaces, and we demonstrate differences due to the type of bacteria, the type of surface, and the exposure conditions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.