[The behavier of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in surface water, cooling water and waste water (author's transl)].

This is a report on the occurrence and numerical behaviour of Ps. aeruginosa in natural waters with and without waste water contamination, in dams, cooling water circulations and cooling water discharge, in clarification plant and supplementary laboratory tests. The results show that Ps. aeruginosa may occur in the natural flora of open waters, but only following the introduction of human sewage. In the main, a more or less rapid reduction in the number of Ps. aeruginosa to low levels occurs, but periods of several days to several weeks must be allowed for this. In the presence of large quantities of nutrient, multiplication of Ps. aeruginosa in natural waters cannot be excluded. It certainly appears in technical systems such as cooling water circuits and filter plants. Presumably Ps. aeruginosa also multiplies in waste water, whereas in the biological aerobic clarification process a reduction occurs. The effect of a higher temperature on the survival or multiplication of Ps. aeruginosa could not be confirmed by laboratory experiments.