ABILITY OF ACTIVATED
CARBON TO REMOVE VARIOUS SUBSTANCES FROM WATER
Adsorption in activated
carbon is an important tool for water
purification. It applies especially to dissolved
organic substances which are responsible for
taste or odor, or may actually be of an
irritating or poisonous nature. Also, activated
charcoal removes some substances by catalytic
reaction (chlorine, for example). Activated
carbon also removes certain types of particulate
matter by mechanical filtration action, and some
substances such as a suspension of an organic
vapor by a combination of filtration and
adsorption means.
The capacity of activated carbon to remove
specific substances and mixtures depends on the
nature of the specific chemical compounds, their
concentration, conditions of adsorption, such as
temperature, pressure, contact time, etc., and
how the activated carbon is applied to the
problem.
The
accompanying table classifies the ability to
be removed for specific chemical compounds
and describable substances and mixtures
according to the following- arbitrary scale
0 - Not a logical use
for activated carbon. |
1 - Category too
broad and non-specific, need more
information. |
2 - Possibility.
Suggest making laboratory and pilot
tests. Success may be a matter of
definition. |
3 - Might be an
application, either alone or in
combination with other treatment
methods. |
4 - May be good
solution, but special conditions apply,
or activated carbon can serve as one
step in total treatment. may not be a
complete solution in itself. |
5 - Fair application,
removed to some degree by activated
carbon. Good application, but requires
definition of results to be obtained. |
6 - Definite
application for activated carbon under
some conditions. |
7 - Good application,
removed in satisfactory quantity by
activated carbon. |
8 - Excellent
application, removed in high quantity by
activated carbon. |
9 - Proven use,
probably best solution. |
Since the above mentioned
factors exert considerable control over
capacity, it must be borne in mind that the
figures given in the table are for general
guidance only. The specific case should be
tested on laboratory and pilot scale if it is a
new application.
Accidental spills
of toxic materials |
7 |
Acetaldehyde |
7 |
Acetic add |
7 |
Acetone |
8 |
Activated sludge
effluent |
6 |
Air purification
scrub water |
6 |
Alcohol |
8 |
Alkali |
2 |
Amines |
6 |
Ammonia |
2 |
Amyl acetate |
9 |
Amyl alcohol |
9 |
Animal excrement |
6 |
Antifreeze |
7 |
Aquarium water |
7 |
Benzenes |
9 |
Bilge water |
6 |
Biochemical
warfare agents |
6 |
Bleaching
solutions 3 |
9 |
Boiler blowdown
water |
3 |
Boiler compounds |
4 |
Boiler condensate |
6 |
Bottle washing |
6 |
Brackish water |
3 |
Butyl acetate |
9 |
Butyl alcohol |
9 |
By-products,
organic |
6 |
Calcium
hypochlorite |
9 |
Can, drum washing |
6 |
Carbon dioxide |
0 |
Cheese
manufacturing wash water |
6 |
Chemical tank
wash water |
6 |
Chloral |
9 |
Chloraimne |
7 |
Chlorobenzene |
9 |
Chlorine |
9 |
Chlorophenol |
9 |
Chlorophyll |
8 |
Cistern water |
7 |
Citric acid |
8 |
Coal mine
drainage water |
0 |
Condensation
(from ref. coils) |
6 |
Cresol |
9 |
Dairy or milk
processing wash water |
6 |
Decayed leaves |
8 |
Decayed organic
matter |
8 |
Decaying
substances |
8 |
Defoliants |
9 |
Deionized water |
6 |
Detergents |
6 |
Dissolved oil |
9 |
Dyes |
9 |
Electroplating
rinse water |
4 |
Emulsions |
4 |
Ethyl acetate |
9 |
Ethyl acrylate |
9 |
Ethyl alcohol |
9 |
Ethyl a mine |
8 |
Ethyl chloride |
8 |
Ethyl ether |
8 |
Fermentation slop |
3 |
Fertilizers |
3 |
Fiber and fabric
washing |
3 |
Filter backwash |
3 |
Fluorides |
4 |
Food processing
wash water |
4 |
Food processing
waste |
4 |
Formaldehyde |
4 |
Fruit processing
waste |
3 |
Gasoline |
9 |
Glycol |
9 |
Hardness |
0 |
Herbicides |
9 |
Hydrogen bromide |
4 |
Hydrogen chloride |
2 |
Hydrogen fluoride |
2 |
Hydrogen iodide |
4 |
Hydrogen selenide |
5 |
Hydrogen sulfide |
5 |
Hypochlorous add |
9 |
Imhoff effluent |
3 |
Industrial wastes |
3 |
Inorganic acids |
1 |
Inorganic
chemicals |
1 |
Insecticides |
9 |
Iodine |
9 |
Isopropyl acetate |
9 |
Isopropyl alcohol |
9 |
Ketones |
9 |
Laboratory drains |
3 |
Lactic acid |
8 |
Lake water |
8 |
Laundry effluent |
4 |
Leaf extract |
9 |
Lime |
0 |
Liquid
contaminants |
2 |
Lysol |
9 |
Mercaptans |
8 |
Metal salts |
1 |
Methyl acetate |
8 |
Methyl alcohol |
8 |
Methyl bromide |
9 |
Methyl chloride |
8 |
Methyl ethyl
ketone |
9 |
Naptha (coal tar) |
9 |
Nitric acid |
5 |
Nitro benzenes |
9 |
Nitrotoluene |
9 |
Odor of unknown
origin |
6 |
Oil slick |
4 |
Organic acids |
8 |
Organic esters |
9 |
Organic odor |
7 |
Organic poisons |
8 |
Organic salts |
7 |
Organic taste |
7 |
Oxalic acid |
9 |
Oxidizing agents |
3 |
Ozone |
8 |
Packing house
effluent |
4 |
Paper mill
effluent |
4 |
Particulate
matter |
4 |
Phenol |
9 |
Phosphates |
0 |
Photographic wash
water |
4 |
Pickle liquor |
1 |
Plastic monomers |
7 |
Plumbing drain |
6 |
Poisons |
5 |
Polluting
substances |
3 |
Potassium
permanganate |
8 |
Precipitated iron |
4 |
Precipitated
sulfur |
3 |
Process drain |
4 |
Propionaldehyde |
5 |
Propionic acid |
8 |
Propyl acetate |
8 |
Propyl alcohol |
8 |
PropyI chloride |
8 |
Putrefying
substances |
4 |
Radioactive
solutions |
1 |
Rain water |
9 |
Recycled water |
6 |
Residual brine
from electrolysis |
3 |
River water |
9 |
Rubber & plastic
hose taste |
9 |
Salt water |
2 |
Sea water |
2 |
Sediment |
2 |
Sewage plant
effluent |
5 |
Soap |
5 |
Sodium
hypochlorite |
9 |
Soluble iron |
4 |
Soluble sulfur |
4 |
Solvents |
8 |
Sour milk |
5 |
Spoiled foods |
5 |
Spring water |
9 |
Stagnant water |
5 |
Starch |
5 |
Stick water |
5 |
Sugar |
5 |
Sulfonated oil |
8 |
Sulfuric acid |
3 |
Suspended matter |
4 |
Suspended oil |
4 |
Sweet water |
8 |
Swimming pool
water |
8 |
Tanning waste |
5 |
Tar emulsion |
8 |
Tartaric acid |
8 |
Taste of unknown
origin |
6 |
Toluene |
9 |
Toluidine |
9 |
Trichlorethylene |
9 |
Trickle filter
effluent |
6 |
Turpentine |
9 |
Urine |
4 |
Vegetable
processing waste |
4 |
Vinegar |
7 |
Waste products |
4 |
Well water |
9 |
Wine industry
wash water |
5 |
Wool scouring
water |
5 |
Xanthophyll |
8 |
Xylene |
9 |