Granular Activated Carbon For Water Treatment

Water is the source of life, and ensuring its purity is critical. Whether it’s municipal drinking water sourced from surface or groundwater, industrial wastewater, or water used in recreational facilities like swimming pools, the presence of contaminants poses significant risks to human health and the environment. Granulierte Aktivkohle (GAC) is one of the most effective and widely recognized solutions to address these challenges.

In this article, we will explore the role of GAC in water treatment, its working principles, and applications across various industries. Also, we can provide a guide to selecting the right granulated activated carbon for different water treatment needs.

How Granular Activated Carbon Works in Water Treatment

Granular Activated Carbon is a specially processed carbon material with an extremely high porosity and internal surface area. This unique structure enables GAC to effectively adsorb a wide variety of organic and inorganic contaminants in water.

Key Functions of GAC in Water Treatment:

• Adsorption: Granular activated carbon efficiently adsorbs hydrophobic and high-molecular-weight organic compounds, trapping them on the surface of the carbon.
• Chemical Reduction: GAC creates a chemical reduction environment, effectively removing harmful oxidants such as chlorine and chloramines.
• Catalytic Reactions: Catalytic GAC can accelerate chemical reactions, such as the decomposition of chloramines in drinking water.

Due to its durability, high adsorption capacity, and renewability, granulated activated carbon is an ideal choice for continuous water treatment processes.

Applications of Granular Activated Carbon in Water Treatment

Granular activated carbon has become a core material in the field of water treatment due to its strong adsorption capacity. The following are its main application areas in Wasseraufbereitung:

Municipal Drinking Water Treatment

Municipal water treatment plants use GAC to process surface and groundwater, producing safe drinking water. GAC effectively removes harmful contaminants and improves the taste and odor of water.

GAC effectively removes the following contaminants:

• Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs): Such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and bromate.
• Natural Organic Matter (NOM): Such as geosmin and 2-MIB, which cause taste and odor issues.
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Including dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides.
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Such as PFOA and PFOS.
• Trace Contaminants: Such as endocrine-disrupting compounds and pharmaceutical residues.

Moreover, GAC significantly reduces DBP precursors, ensuring drinking water meets stringent quality standards.

Industrielle Abwasserbehandlung

Industrial wastewater contains a variety of pollutants that must be treated effectively before discharge or reuse. GAC plays a crucial role in industrial wastewater treatment by adsorbing biodegradable or non-degradable organic pollutants.

Advantages of GAC in Industrial Wastewater Treatment:

• Effectively reduces Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) by removing organic pollutants.
• Adsorbs adsorbable organic halides (AOX), BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), and phenolic compounds.
• Removes pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, endocrine disruptors, and other trace contaminants.
• Controls the color and odor of wastewater.

In landfill leachate treatment, GAC excels at removing PFAS, toxic compounds, and other harmful pollutants.

Wasserwiederverwendung

With increasing water scarcity, water reuse has become a critical practice in the industrial and municipal sectors. Granulated activated carbon can treat secondary effluent to achieve non-potable or even potable water standards.

Advantages of GAC in Water Reuse:

• Adsorbs trace organic pollutants that biological treatment cannot remove.
• Improves water transparency by reducing color and turbidity.
• Enhances overall water quality, ensuring safe reuse.

Process Water and Ultrapure Water

In industrial production, process and ultrapure water require extremely high-quality standards to meet the needs of electronics, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and other high-tech industries. GAC plays a key role in these fields.

Applications of GAC:

• Removes chlorine and chloramines through chemical reduction, protecting sensitive membrane filtration equipment.
• Adsorbs trace organics and residual chemicals, ensuring ultrapure water meets low organic pollutant levels.
• Controls odor- and color-causing contaminants that may affect product quality.
• Prevents bacterial growth in process water systems by using silver-impregnated GAC.

Aquarium-Filterung

Managing water quality in aquariums is essential for the health of fish and other aquatic life, and GAC plays a vital role in aquarium filtration systems.

Functions of GAC in Aquarium Filtration:

• Chlorine Removal: Removes residual chlorine from tap water through chemical reduction, preventing toxicity to fish.
• Organic Adsorption: Removes organic pollutants such as fish waste, food residues, and decomposition byproducts, keeping water clear.
• Odor Reduction: Adsorbs organic matter and other odor sources, improving the aquarium environment.
• Medication Residue Removal: After using medications in aquariums, GAC adsorbs residual drugs, preventing long-term effects on fish.

How to Choose the Right Granular Activated Carbon

Selecting the appropriate GAC is crucial to achieving efficient water treatment. Generally, GAC is made from coal-based or coconut shell-based materials, each with its own advantages. The choice should be based on specific water treatment requirements.

Granulierte Aktivkohle aus Kokosnussschalen

Granulierte Aktivkohle aus Kokosnussschalen has finer pores and a higher surface area, making it particularly suitable for adsorbing low molecular weight and deeply treated pollutants. This type of GAC is widely used in the following scenarios:

• Removing disinfection byproducts (e.g., THMs) and natural organic matter (NOM) from drinking water.
• Adsorbing chloramines, odors, and trace pollutants in aquariums and swimming pools.
• Removing trace organics and improving water taste in water reuse and ultrapure water treatment.

Coconut shell granular activated carbon is highly pure and excels in applications requiring high-quality water, such as drinking water and process water.

Coal-Based Granular Activated Carbon

Coal-based granular activated carbon has a broader pore size distribution, making it suitable for adsorbing high molecular weight and hydrophobic organic pollutants. This type of GAC performs well in the following scenarios:

• Removing COD and adsorbable organic halides (AOX) from industrial wastewater.
• Adsorbing PFAS and other persistent pollutants in landfill leachate treatment.
• Removing color, odor, and residual chemicals in process water.

Coal granule-activated carbon is commonly used in industrial wastewater treatment and landfill leachate treatment due to its strong adsorption capacity and cost-effectiveness.

If you have any questions about water treatment, please contact our expert team, who will provide customized solutions for your purification needs.

Schlussfolgerung

Granular Activated Carbon is an indispensable tool in modern water treatment, capable of removing various contaminants to ensure water safety and quality.

At QiZhong Chemical, we offer high-quality granular activated carbon specifically designed for diverse water treatment needs. Our products feature high purity, strong adsorption capacity, and exceptional performance to meet a wide range of demands. If you’re looking for reliable water treatment solutions, Kontaktieren Sie uns today for expert advice or tailored product recommendations.