A growing body of experimental evidence suggests that the deposition behavior of microbial particles (e.g., bacteria and viruses) is inconsistent with the classical colloid filtration theory (CFT). Well-controlled laboratory-scale column deposition experiments were conducted with uniform model particles and collectors to obtain insight into the mechanisms that give rise to the diverging deposition behavior of microorganisms. Both the fluid-phase effluent particle concentration and the profile of retained particles were systematically measured over a broad range of physicochemical conditions. The results indicate that, in the presence of repulsive Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) interactions, the concurrent existence of both favorable and unfavorable colloidal interactions causes significant deviation from the CFT. A dual deposition mode model is presented which considers the combined influence of "fast" and "slow" particle deposition. This model is shown to adequately describe both the spatial distribution of particles in the packed bed and the suspended particle concentration at the column effluent.