Activated Carbon Water Filter Bacteria

Charcoal filters or carbon filters are a common method of water filtration.

Activated carbon water filter bacteria.

Activated carbon also called activated charcoal activated coal or active carbon is a very useful adsorbent. Due to their high surface area pore structure micro meso and macro and high degree of surface reactivity activated carbon can be used to purify dechlorinate deodorize and decolorize both liquid and vapor applications. An activated carbon filter clears water of organic compounds that make your water taste or smell bad. It is so cavernous in fact that just one gram of activated carbon can easily have a surface area of 500m2 or higher.

Adsorption adheres particles to a surface like a piece of velcro. Activated carbon filters are recommended for water without bacteria present. Carbon filters are easy to install and maintain and operating costs are usually limited to filter replacement. When bacteria colonize a water filter they produce a slimy biofilm which reduces the activated carbon s adsorptive capacity so it filters the water less effectively producing unpleasant tastes and odors.

Activated carbon filters found in air purifiers or air conditioning air filters are best suited to trap particles less than 0 3 micrometers in size such as tobacco smoke cooking oil fumes bacteria viruses and volatile organic compounds vocs. Carbon filters remove contaminants through adsorption. A carbon filter can remove organics affecting the taste odor and color of your water and reduce some undesirable chemicals such as chlorine and pesticides. The filter media used in these filters are usually coconut shell coal wood and a few others with coconut shell carbon being the most renewable.

Carbon blocks in general work better than gac granular activated carbon filters though many of the latter can do a fine job. Activated carbon filters are small pieces of carbon typically in granular or powdered block form that have been treated to be extremely porous. Some perform much better than others and some are designed for selected special purposes. Very often the components of a filtration system in a water cooler refrigerator or in line filter are difficult to access.

Gac filters contain loose millimeter sized granules of activated carbon that can detect and filter contaminants that would often go undetected in some other types of filters. Contaminants adhere to the surface of a carbon filter and only clean water flows to your house. Water sources can be contaminated by bacteria heavy metals and other contaminants. They come in various types.