Activated carbon adsorption in drinking water treatment

Activated carbon adsorption in drinking water treatment 

Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Clemson University, 342 Computer Court, Anderson, SC 29625, United States of America 

Activated carbon, in powdered (PAC) or granular (GAC) form, has many applications in drinking water treatment. It can be used for removing taste and odor (T O) compoimds, synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs), and dissolved natural ot] nic matter (DOM) from water. PAC typically has a diameter less than 0.15 mm, and can be applied at various locations in a treatment system (Fig. 1). GAC, with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 mm, is employed in fixed-bed adsorbers such as granular media filters or post filters. Despite difference in particle size, the adsorption properties of PAC and GAC are fundamentally the same because the characteristics of activated carbon (pore size distribution, internal surface area and smface chemistry) controlling the equilibrium aspects of adsorption are independent of particle size. However, particle size impacts adsorption kinetics. 

Low molecular weight, liycktiphilic and/or neutral NIOM components 

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Activated Carbon Adsorption in Drinking Water Treatment... 

Originally, application of activated carbon in drinking water treatment was focused on the removal of the taste and odor of the water. Although these effects are the most obvious, the role of activated carbon is far wider and goes beyond simple physical adsorption [41-42], Purification on activated carbon is now considered to be an attractive and inexpensive option for the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from both surface and ground waters [43-44],... 

Activated carbon is the most important carbon material used to adsorb organic solutes from aqueous solutions, although the use of activated carbon fibers and activated carbon cloths has been continuously growing in recent years. These carbon materials are applied across a wide spectrum of systems such as drinking water and wastewater treatments and are used in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Furthermore, activated carbon adsorption has been cited by the US Environmental Protection Agency as one of the best available environmental control technologies [1]. 

After long and successful use in the drinking water treatment industry, activated carbon adsorption continues to gain popidarity in the wastewater treatment field to remove organics that are resistant to conventional biological treatment processes. To date, most appUcations are for more than secondary treatment and use granular activated carbon raftier than the powdered version. 

It is critical in either case to understand and evaluate the adsorption interactions in the context of drinking water treatment systems. Activated carbons are prepared from different precursors and used in a wide range of industries. Their preparation, structure, and applications were reviewed in... 

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