Abstract:Microbial fouling is important one of fouling in industrial circulating cooling water system. In suitable conditions, microorganisms that caused the forming of fouling could reproduce rapidly, which would increase evidently fouling resistance, flow resistance and corrosion rate, so much as block water current path to result in running failure of equipments. This paper introduces the concept of microbial fouling, and illuminates the status, function and characteristic of detection technology research for microbial fouling. The present known forming processes of microbial fouling and their important impact factors are summed up. The commonly used monitoring methods at home and abroad, their merits and defects, and also the latest research developments are analyzed especially in the paper. At last, the authors point out the development trends of detection technology for microbial fouling.