Bacteria are microscopic living organisms that have only one cell. There are millions (if not billions) of different types of bacteria, some can be dangerous while other are beneficial to our daily existence. These helpful bacteria are mainly located on our skin or in our gut or digestive system and are referred to as either resident flora, or your micro-biome, (groups of microbes living in and on your body.) Gut bacteria keeps you healthy by absorbing nutrients, breaking down food and preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.

While many types of bacteria do not pose a risk to our health, there are many more that can be considered extremely dangerous to our wellbeing. These bacteria are a type of pathogen. Pathogens are micro-organisms that can cause disease and they can reproduce quickly in our bodies and give off poisons (toxins) that can cause infection. 

Harmful bacteria examples include:

• Streptococcus – cause strep throat infections
• Staphylococcus – cause staph infections
• Escherichia coli – cause E. coli infections

One single cell of bacteria is known as a bacterium and a staggeringly frightening fact is that within 10 hours one bacterium can multiply to one billion given a favourable breeding ground. Most bacteria reproduce through binary fission. This means that each bacterium cell duplicates its DNA and then divides into two parts, with each new cell receiving one copy of DNA.

Scientists also classify bacteria based on their need for oxygen to live and grow. Bacteria that need oxygen are called aerobes. Bacteria that can’t live or grow when oxygen is around are called anaerobes. Certain bacteria can live and grow with or without oxygen. These are called facultative bacteria.

Another way scientists classify bacteria is by their genetic makeup. Each bacterium contains a different genetic makeup. This is called their genotype. Specialized tests can determine the differences in each bacterium’s genotype.

Science classifies bacteria by the colour they turn after the application of special chemical stains (commonly known as gram staining). Gram-positive bacteria look blue to purple while Gram-negative bacteria look red to pink under a Gram stain. Both positive and negative styled bacteria cause different types of infections.

Such treated bacteria are either classified as gram-positive or gram-negative. This does not mean that either is “good” or “bad”, the colour difference is caused by differences in the physical make-up of the individual cell walls. The process of Gram staining helps guide treatment because gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria result in different types of infections and as such need to be treated with different types of antibiotics. 

Bacteria and viruses are different kinds of germs or micro-organisms. Both can cause infections that may result in similar symptoms. However, bacterial infections and viral infections require different methods of treatment. Healthcare providers may use antibiotics to treat some bacterial infections. But antibiotics are not effective to treat viral infections conversely viruses may be treated with antivirals, but antivirals won’t effectively treat infections caused by bacteria.

Your immune system can fight off some bacteria, but in other cases, you may need an antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection. Antibiotics work by destroying a bacterium’s cell wall or DNA. However overuse of antibiotics can sometimes lead to problems over time. This is because some bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, making it hard to treat infections caused by new strains. Each time you take an antibiotic, you increase your chances that the bacteria will learn to resist it. An example of antibiotic resistant bacteria is MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus).

(Reference excerpts Cleveland Clinic – 12.02.2022)

Limescale serves as a primary food source for bacteria as well as the organic materials, fats and oils that get into the water flow which stick to the rough surface of the scale encrustations, providing a sustainable supply to feed the bacteria as nourishment.

If bacteria can securely settle on a surface and get enough food, they start with an accelerated cell division (proliferation). At 37°C water temperature, bacteria can double their number every 20 minutes. One bacterium can become 1 billion bacteria in 10 hours.

As soon as several bacteria group together, they start to produce a kind of mucus commonly known as biofilm. This biofilm has many functions, the main function of which is to protect the bacteria from disinfectants such as chlorine. Another function is to filter nutrients from the water and provide them as food for the bacteria. Biofilms in the water piping system, fixtures and fittings should be avoided at all costs therefore the control of the water hardness and the pH-value is very important.

A clear example of this growth in the numbers of bacteria together with the formation of its protective biofilm cover is shown in the video youtube.com/watch?V=LqkFQtB4fpl&t=141s from SpaBalancer GmbH a German company specialising in biofilm dismantling in close circuit systems such as spa baths.

(Reference excerpts SpaBalancer GMBH website)

There is a very strong connection between bacteria and scale encrustations, not only does lime-scale act as nourishment to feed the organisms, but also provides a secure habitat and breeding ground for the organisms to establish themselves and multiply exponentially until a life giving resource such as water is changed into a potentially life threatening substance.

It should be considered that once bacteria becomes established and starts to be encapsulated by its protective coating of biofilm, it is 200% more difficult to eradicate the bacterial growth than when it is in its unprotected state (as it is protected by the biofilm from normal disinfectants used in municipal water to control micro-organisms such as chlorine.)

By addressing the scale causing minerals present in your water supply and stopping the establishment of scale encrustations before they form you are fighting the micro-biological problem on a dual front

• By taking away a source of nourishment for the bacterium
• Removing nesting and nursery sites for them to survive prior to sporing when they are at their most dangerous

For scale protection for your water supply without removing essential minerals and while protecting your piping network, fixtures, fitting and appliances and returning the original pressure and flow rate in your piping network we offer a full range of Electronic Impulse Technology anti-scale systems to effectively combat scale encrustations on a three tier approach

• stop new scale encrustations forming
• safely break down existing encrustations in the system
• protect metallic surface the pipework and fittings by laying a protective carbonate coating to counter corrosion

These systems can be retro fitted on a DIY installation on a install and forget basis, requiring only access to an open run of pipe and a normal South African electrical connection (230volt/50Hz)

To find more information of the new technology of electrical impulse anti-scale systems and electrophoresis we suggest that you visit the website www.amanzirms.co.za, or either contact us via e-mail at mwchrisd@mweb.co.za or on the mobile +27 84 690 2644