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The principals relating to the control
bacteria, algae and Legionella by magnetic fluid
conditioning. |
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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.
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Magnetic fluid conditioning is a more
effective solution than biocides |
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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.
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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:-
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Number of cooling towers tested |
29 |
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Number of the 29 towers surveyed
using biocides |
0 |
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Number of cooling towers infected
with Legionella |
3 |
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(Counts for these were: 4, 23
and 20 cfu/ml) |
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Number of cooling towers
containing greater than |
0 |
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100 colony forming units per
millilitre |
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Percentage of towers infected with
Legionella |
10% |
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Percentage of towers considered a
health risk |
0% |
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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.
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Need for monitoring Legionella levels and
government legislation. |
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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.
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Food processing and anaerobic spores and
thermophiles |
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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.
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