Bold & Gold®Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
Bold and Gold® Filtration Media is a biosorption activated media (BAM) used to remove total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total suspended solids (TSS), and pathogens from polluted water. Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is an inert material with no biological toxic effects.
How does the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media work?
Bold & Gold® Filtration Media maintains an anaerobic environment to activate the biological reaction that is needed to remove nitrogen and the adsorption process to remove phosphorus. A biological process indicates that living organisms are required to do the work of removing the nitrogen. An adsorption process requires large surface areas for the attachment of phosphorus. The media removes particulate matter (TSS) by filtration process.
What is Bold & Gold® Filtration Media made of?
There are eight patented mixes of Bold & Gold® Filtration Media made of sand, clay, and recycled tire.
What is the purpose of the components in Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
- Sand is used in Bold & Gold® Filtration Media to filter suspended solids and harmful colloidal bacteria and to increase infiltration rates.
- Clay is used in Bold & Gold® Filtration Media to help retain moisture to create an anaerobic environment for denitrification and to provide surface area for the attachment of the organisms.
- Recycled tire is used in Bold & Gold® Filtration Media to provide a carbon source for the denitrification process and surface area for the adsorption process.
What are the different blends of Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
The Bold & Gold® Filtration Media blends are:
- Bold & Gold® CTS Filtration Media (12-inch and 24-inch depths)
- Bold & Gold® CTS Pervious
- Bold & Gold® ECT Filtration Media
- Bold & Gold® ECT3 Filtration Media
- Bold & Gold® ECT Septic Filtration Media
- Bold & Gold® ECTR Filtration Media
- Bold & Gold® ECT3R Filtration Media
- Bold & Gold® Greenroof Pollution Control
- Bold & Gold® Greenroof Growth
What is the purpose of the different mixes of Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
The mixes offer a variety of infiltration rates making it possible for design engineers to include Bold & Gold® Filtration Media in any Best Management Practice (BMP).
How is nitrogen removed using Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
Nitrogen is removed using Bold & Gold® Filtration Media through a biological process. The objective in removing nitrogen through biological process is converting the nitrate form of nitrogen to an inert nitrogen gas (N2). Nitrogen in gaseous form is found naturally in the atmosphere and is not harmful to the environment.
How is phosphorus removed using Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
Bold & Gold® Filtration Media removes particulate phosphorus by filtration and dissolved phosphorus through a sorption process. As the polluted water filters through the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media, the phosphorus attaches itself to the large surface area of the media components. In addition to the sorption process, there is precipitation, ion exchange, and filtration that aid in removing additional phosphorus. The orthophosphate (DP – dissolved phosphorus) removal rate is 0.2 mg of DP/gram of media or 91 mg of DP/pound of media.
What is the lifespan of the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
The lifespan of Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is dependent on the target nutrients. Nitrogen removal is a biological process; therefore, it does not have a lifespan. On the other hand, phosphorus removal does have a lifespan which is influenced by the concentration of dissolved phosphorus and the flow through rate. There is a finite surface area of the media for the attachment of phosphorus. Thus, when the surface area is fully occupied by the phosphorus, additional loadings cannot be accommodated in the media, which is considered the limiting factor for the lifespan of the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media. When all the pore spaces in the media are taken up by phosphorus, the media is said to be exhausted and will need to be replaced or rejuvenated – backwash and flushing. Typically, Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is sized to last the lifespan of the BMP, or to last through the specified replacement or rejuvenation period.
Which Bold & Gold® Filtration Media do I use in my BMP?
Engineers at ECS are readily available to guide in the selection of the correct blend of Bold & Gold® Filtration Media for your specific project.
Is the recycled tire used in Bold & Gold® Filtration Media toxic?
In our applications, recycled tire crumb or tire chip is not considered toxic. Recycled tire in Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is certified to be 99.9% free of metal by the manufacturers. The water treated by our media is not treated to drinking water standards, and therefore, is not held to the same toxicity standards. There have been several studies completed to find the leaching characteristics of this material and the results have shown no toxic effect to living organisms.
What is a BMP?
BMP stands for Best Management Practices. These are methods or techniques found to be the most effective and practical means in achieving an objective (such as preventing or minimizing pollution) while making the optimum use of resources. BMPs exist in stormwater, wastewater, and agricultural applications and are often used for the same purposes.
Did ECS invent Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
Bold & Gold® Filtration Media was developed by the Stormwater Management Academy at the University of Central Florida. ECS is licensed to manufacture the media nationwide in all stormwater, wastewater and agricultural applications to remove nutrients.
Are there any other companies that manufacture and sell Bold & Gold® Filtration Media?
ECS is the only company licensed to manufacture Bold & Gold® Filtration Media. Suntree Technologies, Inc. is also licensed by the University of Central Florida to sell Bold & Gold® media. Suntree is licensed to provide media in stormwater treatment vaults consisting of concrete and fiberglass. For information about how Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is used by Suntree Technologies, please visit their website at Suntree Technologies.
How can Bold & Gold® Filtration Media be purchased?
Bold & Gold® Filtration Media can be purchased nationwide through ECS approved representatives. Please contact us for a representative in your area.
Can Bold & Gold® Filtration Media be used to remove pollutants other than TN, TP, TSS, and pathogens?
Bold & Gold® Filtration Media has only been field tested to remove TN, TP, TSS, and pathogens from polluted water. ECS is open to research projects targeting other pollutants of concern. Please contact us if you have an opportunity or project where Bold & Gold® Filtration Media could be used for other pollutants.
How to get involved with research at ECS?
ECS is currently in the process of using Bold & Gold® Filtration Media in stormwater, wastewater and agricultural BMPs across the country. We are looking to partner with municipalities and property owners that believe in our fundamental mission of protecting valuable water and land resources through innovative technologies. To get involved or find out more information, please contact us.
How is Bold & Gold® Filtration Media installed?
The installation process of the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is dependent on the applications. For rain garden, retention basins and swales, the media is typically installed by excavating the BMP to a specified depth to accommodate the thickness of the media and a minimum depth of 6-inch soil cover. The Bold & Gold® Filtration Media can also be placed inside of baffle boxes or wrapped around the pipe of an exfiltration trench. The installation specifications should be on the engineering drawings provided by the general contractor. Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is handled like other aggregates on a typical construction job site, utilizing a front-end loader or backhoe. A representative from ECS is available to assist engineers, municipalities and contractors with any questions regarding the installation of the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media.
Can Bold & Gold® Filtration Media accept traffic loads?
Driving on the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is acceptable; however, it increases the density of the media which results in reduction of the media depth and an increase of the volume required to fill the designed space. It is recommenced to use track equipment to drive on the media to minimize compaction. Under a roadway, the Bold & Gold® CTS Filtration media can be compacted to 95% of the maximum standard compaction density – 105 lbs/ft3.
How is the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media delivered to job site?
The Bold & Gold® Filtration Media can be mixed onsite, or offsite and delivered to the job site. When the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is mixed onsite, the components will be delivered to the job site. An ECS representative will oversee the onsite mixing process to ensure accuracy of the patented blend. For offsite mixing, ECS blends the product and delivers to the client’s specified location premixed and ready for installation in super sacks or dump trucks.
How do you verify the delivered quantity of Bold & Gold® Filtration Media to the job site?
Bold & Gold® Filtration Media is sold by weight (tons). ECS has a Department of Transportation (DOT) certified scale to measure the quantity of media produced and delivered to the job site. A delivery ticket showing the actual weight of media is issued to the truck driver to provide to the site manager at the job site. ECS engineers can provide conversion rates upon request.
Does ECS offer the option of selling the raw components of the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media to third-party for mixing?
No. For quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), ECS does not offer the option of selling the raw components of the Bold & Gold® Filtration Media nor allow a third-party mixing of the media.