Algae problem at my workplace..but not in a swimming pool!!

[chem geek]

Well, we know that Borates (Boric Acid or Sodium Tetraborate / Borax) at a level of 50 ppm (Boron) will inhibit algae growth so that seems like one possibility. I can't guarantee that the Boric Acid won't cause harm, but it certainly won't be an oxidant like chlorine. I also assume you would adjust your water pH to be around 7 or wherever you want it, but slightly alkaline to avoid metal corrosion.

If you are getting lots of algae growth, then whatever it is you are rinsing (such as the additive) must also be providing nitrates, phosphates and sulfur (sulfates) because all three are needed (plus some light) for algae to grow. Clearly the sulfuric acid provides sulfates so perhaps the chemical additive is providing nitrates and phosphates. You probably can't do anything about what you are rinsing, but you can control light in the tank. Perhaps keeping the tanks dark plus the use of Borates will be all that is needed for this algae problem.

Anyway, that's my two cents -- for what it's worth.

Oh yes, as for the zeta rod, it makes sense though they make it sound so much more mysterious than it actually is. Essentially the basic principle is simply to put strong charges on anything suspended in the water, and that would include algae, and this prevents them from clumping together or sticking to the sides of the tank since like charges repel each other. It doesn't seem to kill what is in the water, but prevents it from forming colonies -- perhaps such lonely algae and bacteria don't replicate as well all by themselves (just kidding, but not having them settle, clump or attach would mean that any such growth would be minimal with decent flow rates).

Richard