|
|
|
|
|
Granular activated carbon is a highly
adsorbent material used to remove contamination from
water. Activated carbon has been known as a
miracle filter media by many researchers because of its
unique ability to remove offensive tastes, odors,
color, chlorine and volatile organic chemicals,
pesticides and trihalomethanes
(a group of suspected carcinogens). Briefly, activated
carbon acts like a sponge, with a large surface
area to absorb contaminants in the water. The surface area of one pound of
activated carbon is equal to 125 acres. Many scientists believe this is a
result of an affinity that these chemicals have for
carbon because of Van Der
Waal forces. Activated carbon is the preferred
treatment and method recommended by the EPA to remove a
host of potentially hazardous and possibly carcinogenic
chemicals in drinking water. A partial list of
chemicals that are reduced or removed by activated
carbon are:
|
|
|
|
|
The chart shows partial
contaminants regulated for public water systems by the
Safe Drinking Water Act, and the maximum contaminant
levels, source, health effects and treatment options for
each.
|
|
|
Organic
|
MCL
|
Source/Industrial occurrence
|
Health effect
|
Treatment
|
|
Chlorobenzene
|
0.1
|
Used as a solvent for
paint and metal manufacturing. Also used in insecticides.
|
Affects nervous system,
kidneys and liver.
|
Activated carbon
|
|
CIS-1,2 Dichloroethylene
|
0.07
|
Used as an industrial
solvent in the manufacturing of dyes, perfumes and
lacquers
|
Affects liver, and a
nervous and circulatory systems. Probable cause of
cancer.
|
Activated carbon
|
|
Dibromochloropropane
|
0.0002
|
Soil fumigant on
soybeans, and cotton. Canceled in 1997.
|
Cancer
|
Activated carbon
|
|
Dioxin
|
0.00000003
|
Chemical production
by-product; impurity in herbicides.
|
Affects lungs, liver and
kidney. Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated carbon
|
|
Epichlorohydrin
|
0
|
Used
in epoxy resins and coating, and in flocculants.
|
Affects
nervous system, kidney and liver.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Ethlbenzene
|
0.7
|
Used
in the manufacture of gasoline, insecticides and
asphalt
|
Probable
cause of cancer
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Ethylene
Dibromide
|
0.00005
|
Used
as a gasoline additive and soil fumigant.
|
Affects
nervous system, kidneys and liver.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Monochlorobenzene
|
0.01
|
Used
in manufacture of pesticides and as a metal cleaner and
industrial solvent.
|
Cancer
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
PAHs
|
0.0002
|
Coal
tar coating, burnings organic matter, volcanoes, fossil
fuels.
|
Cancer
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Phthalate
(di(2-ethylhexyl))
|
0.006
|
PVC
and other plastics.
|
Affects
skin and liver. Causes nausea. Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Polychlorinated
Biophenyts
(PCBs)
|
0.0005
|
Used
in electrical transformers.
|
Affect
nervous system, kidneys and liver.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Styrene
|
0.01
|
Used
in manufacturing plastic, resins and foams.
|
Affects
nervous system. Probable cause of cancer and anesthesia
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Tetrachloroethylene
|
0.005
|
Used
in dry cleaning and as a degreasing agent for metals.
Also used for manufacturing rubber, waxes, paints and
inks.
|
Affects
nervous system, liver and kidneys. Causes narcosis.
Irritant to respiratory system.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Toluene
|
1
|
Used
in gasoline, paint thinners, lacquers and adhesives.
|
Cancer
|
Activated
carbon, ozonation
|
|
|
|
Total Trihalomethanes
|
|
(THM's):
|
|
Chloroform
|
|
Bromoform
|
|
Bromodichloromethane
|
|
Dibromochloromethane
|
|
|
|
0.01
|
Formed
when water containing organic matter is treated with
chlorine.
|
ffects
nervous system and muscles. Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon, aeration, ultra filtration (20-90%), RO (20-90%)
|
|
1,1
Dichloroethylene
|
0.007
|
Used
in manufacturing dyes, plastic, perfumes, paints and
adhesives
|
Affects
kidneys and liver and can cause nausea.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
|
0.005
|
Solvent
in rubber products, chemical production waste.
|
Kidney,
liver, nervous system damage
|
Activated
carbon, aeration
|
|
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
|
0.02
|
Used
in manufacturing of pesticides, plastic and metals.
|
Affects
nervous system. Causes narcosis and probably cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
1,2
Dichlorobenzene
|
0.6
|
Used
in the manufacturing of fumigants, insecticides, waxes,
resins, rubber and asphalt
|
Affects
lungs, liver and kidneys.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
1,2
Dichloroethane
|
0.005
|
Used
in the manufacturing of gasoline, paint, varnish, metal
degreasers and insecticide fumigants
|
Damage
kidney and liver can cause nausea
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
1,2
Dichloropropane
|
0.005
|
Used
in insecticide fumigants, dry cleaning fluids and in
manufacturing of resins, waxes and petroleum products
|
Affects
lungs, liver and kidneys.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
|
0.07
|
Herbicide
production; dye carrier.
|
Liver,
kidney damage
|
Activated
carbon, aeration
|
|
1,4
Dichlorobenzene
|
0.075
|
Used
in moth repellent, germicides, pesticides and soil
fumigants.
|
Affects
nervous system, liver and kidneys. Probable cause of
cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Acrytamide
|
0
|
Flocculants
used in sewage and wastewater treatment.
|
Affect
nervous system, probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Adipates
|
0.4
|
Synthetic
rubber, food packaging, cosmetics.
|
Decreased
body weight; liver and testes damage.
|
Activated
carbon, aeration
|
|
Benzene
|
0.005
|
Used
in fuels and as a solvent in manufacturing
pharmaceuticals, plastics, pesticides and paints. Often
traced to leaking underground storage tanks.
|
Leukemia,
anemia and possibly cancer
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Trans-1,2
Dichloroethylene
|
0.1
|
Used
as an industrial solvent in the manufacturing of dyes,
perfumes, lacquers and rubber.
|
Affects
liver, and nervous and circulatory systems
|
Activated
carbon, ozonation with UV
irradiation
|
|
Trichloroethylene
|
0.1
|
Used
in dry cleaning and as a degreasing agent. Also used for
manufacturing rubber, paints, adhesives, resins, oils and
fumigants.
|
Irritates
body tissue. Affects nervous system. Probable cause of
cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Vinyl
Chloride
|
0.005
|
Used
as a plastic adhesive and refrigerant. The main component
of PVC pipe
|
Affects
nervous system. Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Xyienes
|
0.002
|
Used
in manufacturing paint, ink, petroleum and detergents.
|
Affects
nervous system, kidneys, lungs, liver and mucous
membranes.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aldicarb
|
|
Aldicarb
Sulfone
|
|
Aldicarb
Sulfoxide
|
|
Carboturan
|
|
|
|
|
Agricultural
insecticide
|
Affects
nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver.
Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Chlordane
|
0.04
|
Used
on rodents, insects, birds. Restricted since 1980.
|
Affects
nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver.
Probable cause of cancer
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Endrin
|
0.0002
|
Agricultural
insecticide.
|
Liver,
kidneys, heart damage.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Heptachlor
|
0.0004
|
Agricultural
insecticide. Converts to expoxide
by soil and water organisms
|
Affects
nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver.
Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Heptachlor
Expoxide
|
0.0002
|
Pesticide
production by-product.
|
Affects
nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver.
Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Hexachlorobenzene
|
0.001
|
Pesticide
production by-product.
|
Cancer
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Hexachlorocyclop
-entadiene
|
0.05
|
Agricultural
insecticide.
|
Cancer
|
Activated
carbon, aeration
|
|
Lindane
|
0.0002
|
Agricultural
insecticide.
|
Affects
nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver.
Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Methoxychlor
|
0.04
|
Insecticide
used on apples, potatoes, tomatoes.
|
Affects
nervous system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver.
Probable cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Oxamyl
|
|
Agricultural
insecticide.
|
Kidney
damage.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,4-D
|
|
2,4,5-TP
(silver)
|
|
Alachlor
|
|
Alrazine
|
|
|
|
|
Agricultural
herbicides
|
Affect
nervous and reproductive system, respiratory system,
kidneys, liver and heart. Causes anesthesia. Probable
cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Dalapon
|
0.2
|
Herbicide
used on orchards, beans, coffee, lawn, roads and railway.
|
Liver,
kidney damage.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Dinoseb
|
0.007
|
Runoff
of herbicide from crop and non crop applications.
|
Thyroid,
reproduction organ damage.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Diquat
|
0.02
|
Runoff
of herbicide on land and aquatic weeds.
|
Liver,
kidneys, eye effects.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Endothall
|
0.01
|
Used
on crops, land and aquatic weeds.
|
Liver,
kidney and gastrointestinal damage.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Glyphosphate
|
0.7
|
Used
on grass, weeds, brush
|
Liver,
kidney damage
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Pentachlorophenol
|
0.001
|
Agricultural
herbicide and wood preservative.
|
Affects
nervous and reproductive system, respiratory system,
kidneys, liver and heart. Causes anesthesia. Probable
cause of cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Picloram
|
0.5
|
Used
on broadleaf and woody plants.
|
Kidney,
liver damage.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
Simazine
|
0.004
|
Used
on grass sod, some crop, aquatic algae.
|
Cancer.
|
Activated
carbon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The contaminants or other substances removed
or reduced by this unit are not necessarily in your water.
|
Source:
Water Technology, Directory Issue / 1995
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|