07-01-04 | News

New Filter Media for Antimicrobial Filtration

 

The clinoptilolite zeolite material is said to filtrate antimicrobials down to 3 to 5 microns, 10 times better than filter sand. It also adsorbs ammonia produced from fish waste.

A water filter media, ZEOBEST Ultra, has been developed by Northern Filter Media of Muscatine, Iowa and Coating Systems Laboratories of Chandler, Arizona, that uses clinoptilolite zeolite (purity rating of greater than 90% clinoptilolite and a Mohs hardness of 5).

The company asserts this material performs antimicrobial filtration down to 3 to 5 microns, 10 times better than filter sand, which removes only 30 to 40 microns. The product is safe for people, fish and plants. It is used in sand filters or other granular filtration devices.

Testing of this filtering medium was performed by Arizona State University Water Quality Center, which found that this medium kills and removes up to 99.98% of virus, gram positive and gram negative bacteria, parasites (cryptosporidium) and algae in water. The product works by “permanently bonding a quaternary ammonium organo silane (quat) to the surface of the zeolite. This bonded quat acts like thousands of razor blades on the surface of the zeolite. When waterborne pathogens or algae pass through the filter bed and come in contact with the surface of the zeolite, the cell wall of the microorganism is cut open. Once the microorganism’s cell wall has been cut open, it is rendered inactive or dead. All of this happens with no disinfectant by-products such as chlorine or algaecides being added back into your water.”

In addition, Zeolites have the capability to adsorb ammonia produced from fish waste.

For additional information or test results contact Northern Filter Media at 800-962-7190.