The highest microbial count was obtained by detaching the biofilm from biofilter grains and dispersing clusters into singles cells using Tween 80 and sodium pyrophosphate combined with four steps of high energy sonication (27W, for 80 s each step); glutaraldehyde was shown to be the best fixative solution.
The microbial count was more correlated to the organic matter than the genetic relationship exhibited by Pleurotus mushrooms.
The reduction in microbial count is considered due to the transition from mesophilic to thermophilic conditions and these mesophiles are not resistant to such temperatures leading to inactivation of their populations (Haug 1993; Weppen 2001; Sundberg et al. 2004).
Microbial count was done by adding 10 g of waste or compost into 90 ml of sterile distilled water containing 0.85%% (w/v) sterile sodium chloride solution in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks.
In contrast to visual plate counting, microscopic examination is impractical when the microbial count is low.
As for the surfaces of rooms B and C, the mean percentage reduction in microbial count was 91.1% and 78.5%, respectively (Table 2).
With regard to the air conditioner surfaces of room A, the mean percentage decrease in microbial count was 25%, with an increase in Staphylococci (from 0.2 to 0.26 cmU/25 cm) after sanitization with BATT2.
Compared to the control which is the vancomycin free (placebo) formulations, considerable inhibition occurred after 8 hours of incubation for all formulations tested but after 24 hours of incubation the log reduction in the microbial count was approximately 5.2, 5.6, and 6.4 CFU/mL for F6, F20, and F13, respectively.
Microbial counts were performed during 60 days of refrigerated storage either at 2 °C or 8 °C.
Carbohydrate removals, carbon dioxide (CO2) productions, denitrification, potassium concentrations, and microbial counts were not affected by different retention times.
