Physicochemical Approaches to Medically Relevant Biofilms: Detection, Characterization, Prevention, Disruption, and Magnetic-Field-Based Strategies

Background: Medically relevant biofilms are difficult to detect, characterize, and eradicate because their behavior depends on microbial species, biofilm maturity, extracellular matrix, surface properties, and environmental conditions. Physicochemical approaches provide complementary strategies for monitoring biofilm development and for preventing or disrupting established communities. This structured narrative review examines electrical and electrochemical methods, ultrasound, light-based and photodynamic treatments, plasma and thermal approaches, nanomaterials and photocatalysis, surface modification, and physicochemical detection methods, with particular emphasis on magnetic-field-based strategies. Contemporary primary studies published from January 2025 to July 2026 were considered together with selected earlier studies providing methodological or comparative context. Findings: Physicochemical approaches produced substantial effects across bacterial and fungal biofilm models, but outcomes were strongly dependent on experimental conditions and assessment methods. Cultivability, biomass, metabolic activity, adhesion, detachment, architecture, and physicochemical signals represent distinct aspects of biofilm behavior and should not be interpreted interchangeably. Real-time monitoring methods provide valuable temporal information but require validation against biological endpoints. Magnetic approaches particularly illustrate this methodological heterogeneity. Direct magnetic-field exposure produced variable and incompletely standardized responses, whereas magnetothermal, magnetomechanical, and magnetically guided systems generally showed more consistently quantified antibiofilm effects. Further progress requires standardized physicochemical characterization, appropriate mechanistic controls, clinically representative models, and complementary assessment of biofilm viability, biomass, structure, and regrowth.