Re: Prime

[Paul Sears <psears at nrn1_NRCan.gc.ca>]

> From: Greg Morin <greg at seachem_com>
> Subject: RE: Prime
> 
> >
> >Every once in awhile the Office of Tbey comes out with a recommendation
> >to avoid a water conditioner that binds heavy metals because it will
> >interfere with the fertilizers added to the tank. I'm trying to
> >determine if this is true or not--or at least if it applies to Prime. I
> >guess I can assume from your reply that you don't feel this is an issue,
> >but a little clarification would be helpful. I guess it would help me to
> >understand what "detoxify any heavy metals" means and how it does or
> >does not affect the heavy metals in your fertilizers.
> >
> 
> The "heavy metal precipitation" effect is operative at removing only 
> very low levels of heavy metals... however since heavy metals such as 
> lead and mercury are already present at very low levels in tap water 
> normally they are typically completely removed.

	This doesn't fit very well with what I know of chemical 
equilibrium.....

> Metals like iron are 
> present in much, much greater concentration than those trace heavy 
> metals thus the removal of iron is nonexistent to negligible.

	Meaning that the iron completely swamps it?

> Even 
> with the trace elements that are dosed the level on most is high 
> enough that the effect there is negligible too. For those that might 
> be more significantly affected, just one dose of Flourish or Flourish 
> Trace after a water change that employs a product such as Prime would 
> immediately restore anything that might be lost.

	Hmmmmm.  I infer from this that the stuff is highly effective
in removing metal ions, but that the typical dose is so low that your
trace elements swamp it.  If that is the case, it won't remove the heavy
metals too well if there is iron there - the iron will take just about
all of it.

	I'd like to hear another explanation....

-- 

Paul Sears
psears_at_nrn1.nrcan.gc.ca, 613-996-4171, facsimile / télécopieur 613-996-9400
Natural Resources Canada, 1, Haanel Drive, Nepean, Ontario K1A 1M1
Ressources naturelles Canada, 1, Haanel Drive, Nepean, Ontario K1A 1M1
Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada