Scale-X stops biofilm and slime from forming

    

                      ALGAE   and   LEGIONELLA 

 
 


 

  The principals relating to the control bacteria, algae and Legionella by magnetic fluid conditioning.  

Scale, sludge, biofilm, biogrowths and corrosion in fluid and water process systems, such as cooling towers and hospital hot water systems, provide the nutrients for bacteria, fungus and algae to live. Legionella lives on a bacteria in the water which derives its nutrients from the scale and sludge in the water. Magnetic fluid treatment alters the size and shape of scale forming crystals, prevents scale from forming and cleans away existing scale and, as it lowers the surface tension of the water, the scale and sludge settles out more efficiently and the water becomes cleaner. This is detailed in the accompanying technical paper on corrosion control. By eliminating and/or modifying and controlling the scale, biofilm and sludge in the fluid process systems, Scale-X magnetic water conditioners alters, reduces and/or removes the food chain (nutrients) on which the harmful bacteria live and alters their environment. This result in the elimination or a significant reduction in the bacteria problem.



 
Enlarge - Softened scale and biofilm (slime) being rinsed
from the cooling tower slats after 30 days MFC treatment.

It is of interest to note that the Professor/Doctor/Researcher in magnetic water treatment (also known as magneto-hydrodynamics), Dr. Klaus J. Kronenberg, the California State Polytechnic University scientist, has advanced the following theory, again based on starving the bacteria, of why magnetically treated water eliminates algae and legionella:- "Bacteria and Algae have to ingest their food directly through the cell wall. They get plenty of water through it, but they cannot receive any nourishment in the form of crystallized minerals which cannot penetrate the cell walls. Thus bacteria in magnetically treated water starve". In other words, magnetic water treatment has changed the form of one or more of the nutrients by changing the charge on the ions and making them indigestible by the bacteria. This theory can operate in combination with process outlined in the paragraph above.

 
  Magnetic fluid conditioning is a more effective solution than biocides  

Magnetic fluid treatment is a more definite and long term solution to these problems than the use of biocides. The bacteria becomes immune to the biocides over time and it is necessary to change the chemicals used on a regular basis to prevent further outbreaks of bacteria where as starvation is a permanent cure.

For example, in air conditioning systems with cooling towers, scale, biofilm and sludge and corrosion can be eliminated. This reduces the food chain and alters the environment in which the deadly Legionella and associated bacteria live resulting in the control of, and elimination or significant reductions in these bacteria.



Magnetic fluid conditioning eliminated the Legionella problem
in all 29 cooling towers surveyed without the use of biocides.
Details are shown to the right in blue font.


Similarly, the algae problem and biogrowths can be controlled. The Scale-X magnetic water conditioner devices keep the condenser tubes and the cooling tower slats clean, the scale and sludge stays soft and settles out during low fluid velocity in the basin of the cooling tower. The water becomes cleaner because the surface tension of the water is reduced by magnetic fluid treatment and the settling out of the scale and sludge is more efficient. For the first few months after the application of magnetic water treatment, while the MFC's are softening and removing existing scale, the bacteria counts may go up and the cooling tower slats should be hosed down (use a high pressure water jet) to remove the scale which has been softened by the magnetic water treatment. The cooling tower basin should be cleaned on a continuing regular basis.

Also, it is important that the cooling tower system have bleed-off. The typical recommended amount of bleed-off is 1 to 2 times the volume of the system per week.  With MFCs installed the number of bleed-offs can be reduced as the number of cycles that the air-conditioning system operates at can be significantly increased.




 

 


 

  Documented applications  


Examples of just how quickly Legionella and biogrowths can be reduced using this technology are contained in the accompanying journal and magazine articles one and two. In these documents, laboratory tests for Legionella Pneumophila of counts of up to 900 cfu/ml have been reduced to “nil” within days.

Also documented in the technical journal Maintenance Australia January 1990 is a survey of 29 cooling towers not using biocides but using magnetic water treatment (also known as magneto-hydrodynamics). The findings were as follows:-

  Number of cooling towers tested  29  
  Number of the 29 towers surveyed using biocides  0  
  Number of cooling towers infected with Legionella 3  
       (Counts for these were: 4, 23 and 20 cfu/ml)    
  Number of cooling towers containing greater than 0  
       100 colony forming units per millilitre     
  Percentage of towers infected with Legionella  10%  
  Percentage of towers considered a health risk  0%  

This clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of magnetic water treatment in the control of bacteria in water systems.

Similar success was achieved in magnetic water treatment of a hot water system in a medical center building in Berlin where Legionella counts of up to 244 cfu/ml were recorded. The tests were certified by the Microbiological Laboratories Dr Th. Bernhard GmbH of Berlin Germany. The hot water system was partially scaled up when the magnetic fluid conditioners were installed. The Legionella counts initially went down until the magnetic water treatment began to remove the existing lime scale. The counts went up during this period, and then plummeted to zero. A “nil” count was recorded after 49 days. Had the system been cleaned when the MFC's were installed the "nil" count would have been achieved in about 14 days.



Legionella was eliminated progressively
as the magnetic fluid treatment
cleaned the system.

Multiple stages of MFC’s may be required for treating a mulit-level hospital warm water system and some minor changes to the warm water system may be required to establish the required fluid dynamics parameters for magnetic fluid treatment to function (refer accompanying schematics one and two).

It is to be noted that it is important to clean out existing scale in the water process system before the magnetic units are installed. Residual scale and sludge will be removed by the magnetic fluid treatment and the total dissolved solids (TDS) may increase after the Scale-X MFC’s are installed until the system is fully clean. This can result in an increase in the bacteria and Legionella count for a period of time. Then the count will usually drop dramatically as shown in the accompanying Maintenance Australia journal article. It is then important to clean the basin of the cooling tower and clarifiers on a regular basis.

 
  Need for monitoring Legionella levels and government legislation.  

The application of Scale-X fluid conditioning technology using magnetic fluid conditioners does not remove the need to be vigilant in regularly monitoring and testing for Legionella. Legionella can be carried into the cooling tower system by air born particles and mist from other sources and/or untreated towers.

Some countries have legislated that biocides must be used in cooling towers even though their use has had a very low success rate. Where such legislation exists we recommend that biocides still be used along with the Scale-X MFCs.



 
  Food processing and anaerobic spores and thermophiles  

A similar process takes place in the production of dried milk powder where thermophiles and anaerobic spores are a major problem. In this process the rate of scale and sludge formation is so severe and fast, requiring cleaning every several hours, that it is only possible to reduce the rate of scaling. However, this still results in significant reductions in the thermophile and anaerobic spore counts allowing dried milk production companies to meet increasingly more stringent specifications. Examples of benefits obtained in dried milk powder production using Magnetic Technology’s Scale-X MFC’s are contained in the accompanying Australian Dairy Foods Journal articles one and two.