Aqueous Solutions Global (ASG) is an internationally recognized water filtration company built on a new technology that removes dissolved metals like Arsenic and Lead from many fluid streams but also removes organic matter from water. The ability of ASG media to remove natural organic matter (NOM) is extremely important because NOM has an indirect effect on the drinking water treatment process and consequently the quality and safety of the produced water. The presence of NOM can include undesirable odor, color, and taste in the drinking water. A component of NOM is Total Organic Carbon (TOC), when Chlorine is added to water containing TOC, carcinogenic Disinfectant Byproducts (DBPs) are formed. Reduction of TOC from the water prior to chlorination reduces the amount of DBPs formed, allowing Municipalities to stay below the DBP Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). The result is clean, safe, good tasting drinking water.
ASG media doesn’t require electricity to work. ASG media removes contaminants without adding any chemicals to the water. Some purification systems need supervision and monitoring. ASG does not need someone watching over it, so water purification systems using ASG media can be applied without the need for constant operator attention.
This oxidation and adsorption media binds the contaminants tightly, so disposing of the media doesn’t pose a pollution risk. It is a non-hazardous solid waste. Some water purification systems require exposure to the incoming water stream for up to 10 minutes or more to take effect. With ASG media, the time needed is significantly less.
Unlike Chlorine water-purification treatments, ASG media technology doesn’t leave a chemical residue that includes a bad odor and taste. Most ASG media systems don’t waste water due to a reject or back wash stream. Except in systems which contain high levels of dissolved solids or “sticky” organic matter, 100 percent of the inlet water or fluid is treated and available for use.
Some fluid steams have more acid or alkali than is allowable for drinking water. ASG media provides a “buffering” effect that modifies these fluid streams to a more neutral pH level, which meets the regulatory requirement.
Innovative Technology
By creating an intermolecular attraction between the surfaces of the media and contaminants, ASG adsorbent media removes contaminants from fluids without affecting other characteristics of that fluid. This includes single strength juice, wine and, of course, water.
The technology has value for the food industry where juice producers mix water and apple, cranberry or white grape concentrate. And, ASG media can remove Arsenic without affecting the desirable characteristics that give the juice its flavor, color, texture and nutrition.
How Does Aqueous Technology Work?
The bond formed between the ASG media and harmful dissolved metal contaminants is extremely tight. Tight enough so that it doesn’t break down even when the fully spent media is discarded. The contaminants won’t leach off the media, which is why users can dispose of the media without creating any pollution.
Removing Arsenic
ASG media applied for Arsenic removal has an excellent capacity for binding both trivalent and pentavalent Arsenic. ASG also offers a media product that oxidizes trivalent Arsenic on contact: oxidizing it into the less dangerous pentavalent form. Unlike Chlorine, which is often used to oxidize trivalent Arsenic, ASG oxidation doesn’t result in harmful waste streams and byproducts. Using ASG oxidation and adsorbent media is a cost effective, long-lasting way to eliminate Arsenic contamination.
Because ASG media oxidizes the contaminants in the fluid stream, it kills biological organisms, and eliminates organic matter odor, bad taste and color.
In short, ASG media eliminates both organic and inorganic contaminants in one step, without adding chemicals or creating a reject stream.
Removing Other Contaminants
ASG uses the oxidation media for dealing with micro-organisms. A disinfection chemistry is grafted to the surface of the granular media, so that when water flow brings the organisms into contact with the media, it ruptures their cell walls, killing the micro-organism on contact. The dead material remains in the water, but it can be removed with standard mechanical micron filtration.
Portability and Water Pressure
The pressure loss through the ASG media is very low. This means that ASG media can be effective whether the water flow is delivered by gravity, foot pumps, well pumps or a municipal water source.
ASG technology has withstood all water pressure or flow rates it has been exposed to, to date. The ASG media will not degrade under high pressure or high flow rates. The amount of media and the size of the containment vessel is sized to account for whatever pressure and flow rates are required.
Why Does ASG Technology Work?
The composition of the media is what makes ASG different from other water treatment technologies. The ASG technology uses activated alumina as a chemical support matrix.
ASG takes the durable properties of alumina granules — roughly equal to a large grain of sand — and bonds selected chemicals to the interior and exterior surfaces under heat and pressure. This creates a superior adsorbent material with stronger contaminant removal capacity. The media is hard, and also porous, which adds to the effective surface area of the media. The larger effective surface area increases the media efficiency and capacity. This means the media can remove and bond more of the contaminant.
After the ASG media loses its capacity to adsorb any more contamination, the media can be disposed of as a non-hazardous waste or repurposed as a substitute aggregate for sand in concrete.