What does an activated carbon filter do?

The magic of an activated carbon filter is that it removes contaminants, odors, and odors from tap water.But how do they work? Do you need one?

Here is a simple overview of how activated carbon filters work, what they can remove and their limitations.

How does an activated carbon filter work?

Activated carbon filters, sometimes called charcoal filters, contain small pieces of carbon, granular or lumpy, that have been treated to be extremely porous.The surface area of just 4 grams of activated carbon is the equivalent of a football field (6,400 square meters).This is the huge surface area that allows the activated carbon filter to adsorb (essentially eliminate) contaminants and other substances very efficiently.

When water passes through an activated carbon filter, chemicals stick to the carbon, creating purer water.Efficiency depends on the flow rate and temperature of the water.Therefore, most smaller activated carbon filters should use low pressure and cold water.

In addition to surface area, activated carbon filters may have different functions in terms of removing pollutant sizes.One factor is the quality of coconut shell activated carbon, which has the highest efficiency.Activated carbon can also be made from wood or coal and sold as granular activated carbon or carbon blocks.

Another factor is the size of the particles.Granular activated carbon (GAC) is a porous material with no specific restrictions.Activated carbon exists in the form of carbon block, its aperture is generally between 0.5 and 10 microns.The problem with minimization is that when water particles are difficult to get through, the flow of water eventually decreases.As a result, common carbon blocks range in size from 1 to 5 microns.

What does activated carbon filter remove and reduce?

Activated charcoal can effectively reduce hundreds of substances, including pollutants and other chemicals from tap water.However, studies have shown that activated carbon effectively removes 60-80 chemicals, effectively reduces 30, and moderately reduces 22.

The range of effective removal is important, depending on the quality of the activated carbon used and in what form (GAC and carbon block).

These are pollutants and other chemicals that can be effectively removed by carbon filters.

·Chlorine (Cl)

·Chloride (Cl -)

·Pesticides

·Herbicides

·Nitric acid (NO32 -),

·patent foramen ovale

·phosphoric acid (PO43 -)

·Lee lithium (+)

·The drug

·microplastics

What activated charcoal doesn't filter

Although activated carbon filters contain more than 70 contaminants, some materials cannot be removed.

· Healthy minerals such as magnesium, potassium, sodium, and calcium (which means activated charcoal does not generally reduce TDS)

· Dissolved solids, including minerals, salts or metals such as iron, are not considered contaminants

· Most microbial contaminants include cysts, coliforms, and bacteria

· Inorganic contaminants such as arsenic and asbestos

· Microbial contaminants

Activated carbon is a special filter material and technology that can solve many problems, but not all.