Activated carbon is basically used for two water treatment purposes and each work in totally different ways.
1. Chlorine Removal: Activated carbon may be used to remove chlorine with little degradation or damage to the carbon. Dechlorination occurs rapidly and flow rates are typically high. However, this process requires an extensive amount of surface area, and organics in the water will eventually fill up and block the pores of the carbon. Ultimately, the activated carbon filter will need to be replaced as its ability to dechlorinate the water will slowly decline. Spent carbon can be re-activated; however, re-activated filters should only be used in waste-water treatment applications. One advantage to using AC is its low operating cost and virtual “fail safe” operation once installed. One disadvantage is that as the chlorine is removed from the topmost layer of the media, the AC provides a damp environment ideal for the growth and proliferation of bacteria. Bacteria can cause problems in medical applications, or when using carbon as a pretreatment to reverse osmosis.
2. Removal of Organic Matter: As water passes through an activated carbon filter, organic particles and chemicals are trapped inside through a process known “adsorption”. The adsorption process depends upon 5 key factors:
1) physical properties of the activated carbon (surface area and pore size distribution);
2) the chemical makeup of the carbon source (amount of hydrogen and oxygen);
3) the chemical makeup and concentration of the contaminant;
4) water pH and temperature; and
5) the length of time the water is exposed to the activated carbon filter (called empty bed contact time or EBCT).