Evaluation of Common Granular Activated Carbon Parameters for Trace Contaminant Removal
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 7
Abstract
It is well understood what properties of activated carbon are mostly responsible for removal of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) because MIB is a commonly studied trace organic contaminant. Five commercially available granular activated carbons (GACs) were evaluated for MIB removal using rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs). MIB breakthrough curves were examined and showed that a chemically activated wood-based carbon outperformed bituminous and lignite-based activated carbons. However, GAC parameters often included in purchasing decisions did not correlate with MIB removal. Therefore, the best method for selecting GAC is performance-based testing.
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Acknowledgments
This material is based on work supported by the Florida Education Fund McKnight Fellowship program and an Alfred P. Sloan scholarship [Minority Ph.D. Program (MPHD)]. We thank Gainesville Regional Utilities, Calgon Carbon, Norit, and Mead WestVaco for supporting the goals of this research by donating water and GAC samples. Special thanks to Rick Loftis at Engineering Performance Solutions (EPS) for the use of his lab space and analytical equipment throughout the course of this work.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 7 • July 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 26, 2017
Accepted: Oct 22, 2018
Published online: Apr 29, 2019
Published in print: Jul 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Sep 29, 2019
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