Patent ID: 6998049

Claim:
A method for increasing the performance of filtration units with time comprising: (a) adding a formulation to aqueous media and passing the formulation and the aqueous media through filtration units to increase the performance of the filtration units with time by at least one of: (i) slowing down the buildup of extracellular layers on the filtration units; and (ii) removing existing extracellular layers on the filtration units; wherein the formulation comprises an ammonium compound at a quantity of 0.1 to 8 mg of the ammonium compound per liter of the aqueous media, wherein the ammonium compound comprises at least one of ammonium acetate, ammonium alum, ammonium carbonate, ammonium chloride, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ammonium magnesium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulfate, or ammonium sulfate saltpeter, and a phosphate compound at a quantity of 0.3 to 20 mg of the phosphate compound per liter of the aqueous media, wherein the phosphate compound comprises at least one of: (a) primary orthophosphates having the general formula M′H 2 PO 4 or M″(H 4 PO 4 ) 2 ; (b) secondary orthophosphates having the formula M′ 2 HPO 4 or M″HPO 4 ; (c) tertiary orthophosphates having the formula M′ 3 PO 4 or M″ 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ; or (d) condensed phosphates derived from at least one of groups (a)–(c) wherein M′ is an alkali metal and M″ is an alkaline earth metal.