Question

You be the expert: Imagine you are teaching a class on controlling microbial growth in the environment. To test your students, you will present them with a scenario including a site and some probable microbes present. They must design a strategy to eliminate harmful microbes from the area.

There is two parts to this question

1A. Come up with a scenario/situation including a site and some probable microbes present.

1B. Come up with possible solution/analysis to that scenario/situation in order to eleminate harmful microbes.

Answer 1

1A. Microbes are everywhere in our world. There are five main groups of microbes which are bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae and protozoa. The major factors which affect microbial growth are water activity, pH, temperature, oxygen level and radiation.

Most microbes thrive in warm temperatures. pH 6.5-7 (neutral range) is best suited for bacterial growth. Most molds and yeasts (fungus) require an optimum pH of about 5 to 6 for growth. Water is an important factor for microbes growth as they obtain almost all their nutrients in solution from the surrounding water. The acidity of food is also an important factor affecting microbial growth. The presence of oxygen can greatly affect the growth of microbes.

More acidic foods can typically be stored for longer periods without spoiling. Preserving agents that increase the acidity of food, such as citric acid, Vinegar and lemon juice are commonly added to help prevent bacterial growth.

Most microbes thrive in oxygen-rich environment, that’s why many commercial foods are vacuum-sealed. Vacuum sealing inhibits the growth of many types of bacteria and fungi that cause food spoilage.

Site to find microbes:

1. The Kitchen Sink -Food particles from plates and dishes (Availability of water) can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria like E. coli etc.

2. Pet toys - Becteria, yeasts and molds are the probable microbes present.

1B.  

The Kitchen Sink-Washing sink it with a solution of bleach and water atleast once a day and then letting the solution run down the drain.

Pets toys: Scrub hard pet toys with soap, water, and mild bleach solution.