Calculated by mass, the average human is made of 18.5% carbon. If you exclude oxygen, you have more carbon than any other element. Carbon also powers most of our world through coal and oil and it' s one of the best natural filters of water we have. Without carbon, life would look pretty different, or more likely, may not even exist.
Humans have found a lot of ways to employ carbon to fit our many needs, including water filtration.
One of the more important discoveries we made was that increasing the surface area of carbon - activating it - makes it better at water treatment. We also learned that impregnating carbon with other elements can help remove specific contaminants, like with activated carbon filters.
What Is Activated Carbon?
Activated carbon, or activated charcoal, is carbon treated to massively increase its surface area. With greater surface area, activated carbon can adsorb far more contaminants than it otherwise could. In some cases, activated carbon water filters have over 4,200 square meters of surface area per gram.
Activated carbon can be created by super heating carbon rich materials like wood, fibers, and coal without oxygen. It' s heated a second time in an oxygenated environment while being exposed to nitrogen or argon.
This unique, two-step burning process makes the carbon very porous, which increases its surface area. As water passes through and around the porous surface of activated carbon, many contaminants get pulled in and trapped, leaving your water cleaner.
Activated carbon is widely used because it' s cheap and abundant, it' s very simple in the way it works, and it excels at removing some common contaminants like chlorine, which hurt your water quality.
One of the most widely used varieties in water filters is coconut shell carbon.
What Contaminants Does a Activated Carbon Filter Remove?
The benefits of activated carbon filters are that they remove or reduce a wide variety of contaminants from drinking water. These include:
Chlorine
Chlorine is the most common disinfectant used in public water systems. While it is very good at killing pathogens in your water, it can dry out your skin and make your water taste and smell like a swimming pool. It also creates dangerous disinfection byproducts.
Chloramines
This disinfectant is made by combining chlorine and ammonia. It is commonly used in municipal water systems because it lasts longer than chlorine. Like chlorine, chloramines can cause skin irritation and respiratory problems and also react to organic material in water to form harmful disinfectant byproducts like trihalomethanes.
Trihalomethanes (THMs)
These chemical compounds can form when chlorine and chloramines are used to disinfect water. THMs have been linked to a range of health problems, including cancer and reproductive issues. activated carbon media removes trihalomethanes and other disinfection byproducts.
Hydrogen Sulfide
If you' ve ever wondered why well water smells so bad, hydrogen sulfide is your answer. This gas that smells like rotten eggs can also corrode your metal pipes and fixtures.
Pesticides and Herbicides
These dangerous chemicals commonly contaminate public and private water supplies as they are used heavily in both agriculture and lawn care. activated carbon media helps you remove many of these harmful chemicals from your water.
Iron and Manganese
These metals stain your clothing and fixtures and can clog your pipes. If you have hard water, these minerals can make it worse. In fact, if you can remove iron before it hits your water softener, you may increase its efficiency and save some money on salt.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
These are organic chemicals that can evaporate into the air at room temperature. VOCs are in industrial and household products, and they can have negative health effects with prolonged exposure. Some of the VOCs that activated carbon removes are:
- Benzene: This known carcinogen is a colorless liquid that is used in the production of plastics, synthetic fibers, and rubber. High levels of exposure can cause a variety of health problems.
- Toluene: Toluene exposure can cause health problems like headaches and dizziness. This colorless industrial chemical is used in the production of gasoline, solvents, and other industrial products.
- Xylene: A hard-to-detect solvent used in the production of rubber and plastics, xylene exposure can also cause headaches, dizziness, and other health problems.
- Trichloroethylene (TCE): Another colorless industrial solvent, TCE is used in the production of refrigerants, adhesives, and other industrial products. TCE exposure can harm your liver and kidneys and cause cancer.
- Perchloroethylene (PCE): PCE is a colorless liquid that is used in the production of dry cleaning solvents and other industrial products. Exposure to PCE can cause liver and kidney damage, and it has been linked to cancer.
- Dichlorobenzene: Like others on this list, exposure to dichlorobenzene can cause headaches, dizziness, and a variety of other health problems. Dichlorobenzene is a colorless liquid solvent and deodorizer used in mothballs and mildew control products.
As you can see, the benefits of activated carbon filters are far beyond improving taste. This unique filter media also improves the quality of your water.
What Are the Benefits of Activated Carbon Filters?
We' ve already talked about many benefits of activated carbon filters. Here' s a few more reasons why they are sought after:
- Chemical free: Activated carbon uses adsorption instead of chemicals to provide you with clean water.
- Taste-improving: No one wants their water to taste like a swimming pool or old plumbing. Activated carbon water filtration removes bad tasting compounds like chlorine, chloramines, sediment, iron, and manganese.
- Versatile: Activated carbon removes a variety of different impurities from your tap water and works well in conjunction with other filter media and technologies.
- Inexpensive: It is far cheaper to get a whole house filter that uses activated carbon than reverse osmosis.
Upgrade Your Water With a Activated Carbon Filter
If you want the best tasting water from your faucet, there are many benefits of activated carbon filters.