New Biocide for Industrial Cooling Water Systems to Reduce Potential Risk of Legionella Bacteria

GE (USA) today introduced a new biocide for industrial cooling water systems designed to reduce microbiologically influenced corrosion and the potential risk of Legionella bacteria. GE’s Spectrus TD1100E is a non-oxidising microbiological control agent used to kill or control growth of microbial populations in open evaporative cooling systems.

Cooling water systems are essential to production in many industrial plants and for comfort cooling in commercial and institutional facilities. Corrosion and microbiological fouling must be kept at bay to avoid damage to equipment and system inefficiencies, which can result in losses in production and/or excessive water and energy consumption. In addition, microbiological growth that is not tightly controlled can result in increased employee and community exposure to health risks including Legionnaires’ disease.

“Biofilm and biofouling reduce cooling efficiency, leading to higher energy costs, lost production and also cause equipment damage from corrosion and foster the growth of potentially fatal bacterial pathogens such as Legionella. GE’s new Spectrus TD1100E is a unique liposome-enhanced biocide that directly targets biofouled surfaces within the cooling system and/or the tower pack with less chemical handling and a lower environmental footprint,” said Ava Drayton Elder, water services global product management leader—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. “Our new solution is proven to be effective in potentially reducing Legionella bacteria risk while also removing corrosion.”

GE’s new biocide improves heat transfer rates, increases efficiency, reduces the amount of chemicals, which lowers environmental impact, and diminishes adsorbable organic halogens in effluent water. Spectrus TD1100E also reduces sessile bacteria (biomass), which is a key risk factor for Legionella development on a cooling system.