Cooling tower wood deterioration by fungi in the service water system of a test reactor

Wood deterioration in wet cooling towers is auniversal industrial problem. Wood deterioration in the cooling tower has been a problem in the cooling water circuit of a Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam which uses an open recirculation cooling system. Studies on the fungal flora and water quality of the service and source water were carried out to examine the factors responsible for wood deterioration. Data on weight loss following exposures to different fungal species showed that deterioration was more pronounced in the case of Aspergillus niger (14%), as compared to others: Penicillium citrinum (11%), Pacilomyces sp., (10%) Trichoderma viride (8%), Aspergillus flavus (9%), A. terreus (11%), and control (6%).