Bacterial attachment over a wide range of ionic strengths

The number of bacterial cells adhered on a glass surface was counted over a wide range of ionic strengths. The counted number increased linearly with the square root of time. The rate of attachment increased with the increase in ionic strength and then plateaued. The rate of attachment was analyzed on the basis of the potential barrier between the surface of the bacterial cell and that of the substratum. An equation for formulating the dependence of the attachment rate on the ionic strength was proposed, which seems to be useful for the systematic understanding of bacterial attachment in various environments, from terrestrial to marine.