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Pocket-size, personal membrane filtration anywhere

How can I tell if my FilterPen is still working?

The primary function of the FilterPen is to remove micro organisms from your drinking water. The microfiltration membranes inside the FilterPen work as a fine sieve on which bacteria and protozoa remain. The more contaminated water you filter the more micro organisms will build up on the membrane surface. Eventually filtered micro organisms and suspended solids will form a layer which can block the membrane completely. The flow rate will however drop gradually until the FilterPen shuts off completely. To raise the flow rate the membranes can be cleaned with included cleaner tablets.

Does the FilterPen remove viruses from my drinking water? Viruses are the smallest waterborne pathogens (smaller than 0.1 micron). Viruses in water that are dangerous to humans are those that come from human sewage. They are uncommon in Europe, North America and developed nations with good sewage and water treatment practices. Common viruses include Hepatitis A and E and rota viruses. The FilterPen will remove any micro organisms or particles larger than 0.2 micron and therefore viruses will theoretically pass through the microfiltration membrane (View the graph to get an idea of the size in relation to bacteria). In practice most viruses will attach (adhere) to larger particles which are removed. How much effort does it take to suck water through the FilterPen? By sucking on the mouthpiece an under pressure is created which pulls water through the microfiltration membranes. Under pressure is expressed in bar or psi (or pounds per square inch). An average individual can comfortably create an underpressure of 0.1 bar (1.5 psi) by sucking. The flow rate is the amount of water which will pass through the FilterPen at a given under pressure. It is usually expressed in gallons per minute or liters per minute. At 0.1 bar the flow rate through the FilterPen will be about 0.5 l/min (0.013 GPM). How much water can the FilterPen purify? This chart shows the flow rate plotted against treated volume. This is an example "worst case scenario" where the water is highly contaminated and performance drops dramatically over the first few liters. The performance has dropped to half its initial value after 10 cleaning cycles. At this point buying a new FilterPen is recommended. The amount of water the FilterPen can purify depends on the quality of the water you filter. The FilterPen will clog faster if the water contains a lot of microorganisms and suspended solids. These contaminants will form a layer on the microfiltration membrane surface. Suspended solids include dirt, clay, silt, dust, colloidal foulants and hydrous metal oxides (such as rust). The flow rate will drop gradually as more contaminants build up on the membrane surface. Cleaning the FilterPen with included cleaner tablets will remove most of the fouling, raising the flow rate drastically. Cleaning the FilterPen will raise performance although it is never restored to the initial value. After 10 cleaning cycles or 100 liters performance has dropped to a point where buying a new FilterPen is recommended. This chart shows the flow rate plotted against treated volume. This is an example "worst case scenario" where the water is highly contaminated and performance drops dramatically over the first few liters. The performance has dropped to half its initial value after 10 cleaning cycles. At this point buying a new FilterPen is recommended. How can I improve FilterPen life? Follow these tips to improve filter life; Use water from the clearest available source. Try not to use the FilterPen to filter muddy water or water with less than 30 cm (1 foot) of visibility. If a clear source is not available, fill a container with water and let particles settle on the bottom before using the FilterPen. Filter half the water in the container and throw away the remaining water and sediment. How do you guarantee that the FilterPen works correctly? The FilterPen micro filtration membranes have an average pore size of 0.15 micrometers and a maximum pore size of 0.20 micrometers (one micrometer is one thousandth of a millimetre). The graph shows relationship between these two numbers. The membranes in the FilterPen are guaranteed to have a log 6 removal of the E. Coli bacteria. This means that the membranes will remove 99.9999% of this bacterium. For more information view the laboratory test report. Furthermore each FilterPen is individually tested for leaks after production. * Laboratory Test Report Can I drink other liquids such as soft drinks or coffee and tea through the FilterPen? Drinking other liquids then water will clog the FilterPen prematurely. This is especially true for drinks containing a lot of sugar. Drinking a soft drink through the FilterPen will clog the filter almost immediately. I have used up all my cleaning tablets. Where can I buy more? Once you have used all the FilterPen cleaner tablets we advise you to dispose of your FilterPen and use a new one. The FilterPen is intended as a disposable product in order to guarantee optimum retention of micro organisms. No risk must be taken to ensure your drinking water is safe.

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