AFMAFMActive Filter Media for sand Active Filter Media for sand

filtersfilters

100% Sustainable high performance water treatment

www.AFMfilter.com

Applications for AFMApplications for AFM

Marine mammals and Marine mammals and birds in biological and birds in biological and chlorinated systemschlorinated systems

Freshwater and Freshwater and marine aquariamarine aquaria

Chlorinated systemsChlorinated systems One of the main reason for stress One of the main reason for stress

& mortalities among marine & mortalities among marine mammals and birds in chlorinated mammals and birds in chlorinated system is pneumonia from lung system is pneumonia from lung damage caused by the chlorine damage caused by the chlorine reaction product trichloraminereaction product trichloramine

Trichloramine is formed by Trichloramine is formed by reaction between ammonium and reaction between ammonium and chlorine at a low pH in the biofilm chlorine at a low pH in the biofilm on the surface of sand in the sand on the surface of sand in the sand filtersfilters

AFM does not support a biofilm, AFM does not support a biofilm, therefore there is no trichloramine therefore there is no trichloramine productionproduction

Mammals and birds

Biological SystemsBiological Systems The high organic input results in the The high organic input results in the

sand filters rapidly becoming sand filters rapidly becoming biofilters.biofilters.

Muco-saccharide alginates excreted Muco-saccharide alginates excreted by heterotrophic bacteria causes by heterotrophic bacteria causes coagulation of the sand filter bed coagulation of the sand filter bed which leads to channelling of water which leads to channelling of water directly through the beddirectly through the bed

AFM actively prevents biofouling, so AFM actively prevents biofouling, so an AFM bed does not coagulate.an AFM bed does not coagulate.

AFM improves sand filter AFM improves sand filter performance by 30% to 80%, performance by 30% to 80%, resulting in a major improvement resulting in a major improvement of water quality.of water quality.

Mammals and birds

AFM AFM in Marine & freshwater aquariain Marine & freshwater aquaria

AFM was developed to replace sand used in sand AFM was developed to replace sand used in sand filters for commercial aquaculture. Due to the high filters for commercial aquaculture. Due to the high organic loading sand filters suffer from biofouling and organic loading sand filters suffer from biofouling and coagulation. This also happens in marine aquaria, coagulation. This also happens in marine aquaria, albeit at a slower rate, but after a few weeks or albeit at a slower rate, but after a few weeks or months, it will start to impact on performance.months, it will start to impact on performance.

Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of the Sciences Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of the Sciences (KFAS) (KFAS)

"We have had your AFM in our raw water filters for a few "We have had your AFM in our raw water filters for a few weeks now and have been monitoring the results. Wow weeks now and have been monitoring the results. Wow what a difference. Backwash is complete and there is no what a difference. Backwash is complete and there is no channelling or clumping at all even with our very fine channelling or clumping at all even with our very fine sediments. I wish the aquarium folk would take more sediments. I wish the aquarium folk would take more cognisance of what is happening in the aquaculture field" cognisance of what is happening in the aquaculture field"

Monaco aquarium

AFM AFM Active Filter Media replaces sand in all types of Active Filter Media replaces sand in all types of

sand filtersand filter

BenefitsBenefits Channeling eliminated & filter Channeling eliminated & filter

performance improved by 30% performance improved by 30% to 80% in terms of solids to 80% in terms of solids removal.removal.

Major life cycle cost savings Major life cycle cost savings over sand, 75% saving on over sand, 75% saving on back-wash water, 15% to 25% back-wash water, 15% to 25% on pump energyon pump energy

visibility through the water visibility through the water doubleddoubled

Reduced ozone demand, Reduced ozone demand, better pH stability, reduced better pH stability, reduced rate of nitrate productionrate of nitrate production

www.AFMfilter.com

AFM AFM back-wash performanceback-wash performance

What goes into a filter What goes into a filter must come back out.must come back out.

Performance of AFM is Performance of AFM is maintained because maintained because back-flush efficiency is back-flush efficiency is 100%100%

Sand filters discharge Sand filters discharge retained solids and retained solids and bacteria in pulses back bacteria in pulses back into product waterinto product water

AFM reproducible normal distribution on back-flush efficiency. Sand was a variable straight line on back-flush performance as measured by turbidity against time

Backflushbalance 14/08/03&19/08/03

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

time

turb

idity

sand 14/08/03

afm 14/08/03

Sand 19/08/03

afm 19/08/03

Bacterial levelsBacterial levels

Bacterial levels on AFM and sand after 3 months in a clean water filter. The Table below is certified data showing total bacterial levels of 3.6 million with sand, and essentially zero with AFM

Enterococcicfu/10ml

FaecalColiformcfu/10ml

Pseudomonascfu/10ml

S.aureuscfu/10ml

APC @37°Ccfu/ml

Sand < 1 < 1 < 1 < 1 3,600,000

AFM < 1 < 1 18 < 1 < 1

AFM AFM is an active filter media is an active filter media rate of Biofoulingrate of Biofouling

Electron micro graphs Electron micro graphs of sand and AFMof sand and AFM

Sand has 100% bacteria Sand has 100% bacteria coverage after 3 dayscoverage after 3 days

AFM stays free of AFM stays free of biofouling, even after 5 biofouling, even after 5 years in sewage years in sewage effluenteffluent

High level of bacteria High level of bacteria reduce filter reduce filter performance by 30-80% performance by 30-80% and increase ozone and increase ozone demand & load on demand & load on biofiltersbiofilters

New sand Used sand

New AFM Used AFM

AFM AFM is an active filter mediais an active filter mediaAdsorption Adsorption

Hydrophilic surface Hydrophilic surface with a negative Zeta with a negative Zeta potentialpotential

Adsorbs small Adsorbs small particles and even particles and even dissolved organic dissolved organic molecules from the molecules from the water.water.

AFM-plus in AFM-plus in development will development will approach activated approach activated carbon performancecarbon performance

www.AFMfilter.com

DOC mg/l

3

3.54

4.5

55.5

6

6.5

77.5

8

17/0

7/20

03

24/0

7/20

03

31/0

7/20

03

07/0

8/20

03

14/0

8/20

03

21/0

8/20

03

DO

C m

g/l

inlet

afm

sand

Graph shows that AFM adsorbs organics directly from solution

AFM AFM is an active filter mediais an active filter mediaBio-resistantBio-resistant

Sand becomes a bacteria Sand becomes a bacteria incubator after only a few incubator after only a few daysdays

In RGF (rapid gravity) and In RGF (rapid gravity) and pressure filters, biofouling of pressure filters, biofouling of sand reduces performance. sand reduces performance.

The extracellular alginate The extracellular alginate excreted by bacteria cause excreted by bacteria cause worm holes through the worm holes through the sand bed and coagulation of sand bed and coagulation of sand.sand.

AFM resists biofouling and AFM resists biofouling and

stays clean.stays clean.

Ammonium -N mg/l

00.10.20.30.40.5

NH

4-N

mg/

l inlet

AFM

sand

Nitrite N mg/l

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

17/0

7/03

31/0

7/03

14/0

8/03

28/0

8/03

11/0

9/03

25/0

9/03

09/1

0/03

23/1

0/03

NO

2-N

mg

/l

inlet

AFM

sand

The above two graphs show that the sand is becoming a biofilter as indicated by the reduced ammonium and high nitrite levels. Test conducted on UK water company systems

AFM AFM see the differencesee the difference

SummarySummary 30% to 80% more solids removed30% to 80% more solids removed Turbidity levels reduced by 50% and visibility Turbidity levels reduced by 50% and visibility

doubleddoubled Reduced ozone demand, reduced nitrate Reduced ozone demand, reduced nitrate

production, reduced alkalinity consumption for pH production, reduced alkalinity consumption for pH stabilitystability

Back-wash water reduced by 75%Back-wash water reduced by 75% Energy savings approx 15% to 25%Energy savings approx 15% to 25% AFM will never need to be replacedAFM will never need to be replaced Can be used in any good quality sand filterCan be used in any good quality sand filter

Filter operating criteriaFilter operating criteria The performance of any The performance of any

media bed filter be it sand or media bed filter be it sand or AFM varies inversely AFM varies inversely proportionally to the flow rate.proportionally to the flow rate.

Run phase flow should be less Run phase flow should be less than <20 cubm/hr/sqmthan <20 cubm/hr/sqm

Air scour 90 cubm/hr/sqm for Air scour 90 cubm/hr/sqm for a period of approximately 5 a period of approximately 5 minutesminutes

Back-wash > 40 cubm/hr/sqm Back-wash > 40 cubm/hr/sqm for 2 to 5 minutes, or until the for 2 to 5 minutes, or until the water runs clear.water runs clear.