Granular activated carbon (GAC) filters are a popular choice for removing certain chemicals, such as organic chemicals and those that cause unpleasant odors or flavors, from water. However, GAC filters do not reduce minerals or Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), which is a common measure used by water filter vendors. Pouring through activated carbon filters is a common and simple design, but they are not recommended for large volumes of water due to their slow speed. Instead, they are often used inside water jugs and domestic water filtration systems.
It is important to clean the filter regularly to maintain an effective active carbon system, as frequent exposure to bacteria can weaken the human immune system. Activated carbon has a large surface area, which allows it to filter out many contaminants. However, there are some materials that it does not remove, such as microbes, nitrates, and fluorine. To remove heavy metals such as lead, a special type of filter is required. Heat is used to increase (activate) the surface area of carbon, which is why these filters are sometimes referred to as “carbon filters”.Faucet-mounted filters are placed at the end of the faucet head and filter the water as it flows.
However, it is common for a good amount of non-pathogenic bacteria to accumulate inside the activated carbon filter. Activated carbon removes certain chemicals that are dissolved in water that passes through a filter containing GAC by trapping (adsorbing) the chemical in the GAC.
Why Activated Carbon is Not the Best Choice for Water Filtration
Activated carbon is an effective material and technology for filtering water and solves many problems, but not all of them. The effective extent of disposal depends on the quality of the activated carbon used and the form in which it is found (GAC or carbon block). According to the EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency), activated carbon is the only filter technology that is recommended to be eliminated. In conclusion, activated carbon can be an effective material for filtering out certain contaminants from drinking water.However, it cannot be used alone and must be combined with other types of filters such as ion exchange filters. Additionally, it cannot effectively filter out certain materials such as microbes, nitrates, and fluorine. Therefore, it is not recommended for use in water filtration as a standalone solution.
