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Fusarium spp. in Metalworking Fluid Systems: Companions Forever

Summary

Researchers analyzed over 48,000 metalworking fluid samples from machines worldwide over 10 years and found that fungal contamination is very common, especially on machine surfaces. While companies add chemicals called fungicides to prevent fungal growth, these chemicals have limited effectiveness and fungi often survive or adapt to them. As regulations increasingly restrict these fungicides, the manufacturing industry will need to find new ways to prevent fungal contamination by changing the chemical composition of metalworking fluids themselves.

Background

Water-miscible metalworking fluids (MWFs) are essential in metal removal and forming operations. When diluted with water, these fluids create conditions conducive to microbial growth, including fungi, which can compromise fluid integrity and mechanically obstruct filters and piping systems.

Objective

To report fungal prevalence in in-use MWFs sampled worldwide over 10 years and evaluate the inhibitory effect of fungicides on fungal growth, sporulation, and spore viability using both traditional culture-dependent methods and flow cytometry.

Results

Fungi were detected in 5.6% of liquid samples and 54.9% of residue samples, with Fusarium species predominating. Fungicide effectiveness was limited: NaPT showed no impact on spore viability, BBIT had only minor effects, and neither compound showed significant vapor phase inhibition. Fungal contamination remained constant over 10 years despite advances in MWF technology.

Conclusion

Fungal contamination in MWFs is the norm rather than the exception, particularly on machine surfaces. The effectiveness of current fungicides is limited and dependent on MWF chemical composition. Future solutions should focus on creating MWFs with chemical constructions that deactivate spores without relying on fungicides, emphasizing ecological factors over single-component anti-fungal activity.
  • Published in:Pathogens,
  • Study Type:Observational Study with Laboratory Experiments,
  • Source: PMID: 39599543, DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13110990
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