Patent ID: 7347946

Claim:
A method for inhibiting growth of microbes in a liquid having a pH equal to or greater than about 2.5, comprising the steps of: a. providing a filter assembly for filtering said liquid, said filter assembly having a filter having a metal-ion sequestering agent for removing designated metal ions from said liquid, said filter assembly having an inlet and an outlet for allowing said liquid to enter and leave said filter assembly, wherein the filter comprises a barrier layer and a polymeric layer, the polymeric layer contains the sequestering agent and is disposed between a surface of the filter and the barrier layer, and wherein the barrier layer is permeable to water so that the water contacts the sequestering agent but microbes cannot pass or diffuse through the barrier layer; and b. causing said liquid to enter said filter assembly through said inlet pass through said filter and out said outlet for a sufficient time so as to substantially reduce the amount of the designated metal ion from said liquid, wherein the growth of said microbes is inhibited.