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Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption

  • Chapter
Physicochemical Treatment Processes

Part of the book series: Handbook of Environmental Engineering ((HEE,volume 3))

Abstract

Adsorption is the process of binding and removing certain substances from a solution through the use of an adsorbent. Activated carbon is the most commonly used adsorbent in the treatment of water, municipal wastewater, and organic industrial wastewaters, because of its ability to adsorb a wide variety of organic compounds, as well as the economic feasibility of use. In water treatment, activated carbon is used to remove organic compounds that cause objectionable taste, odor, and color. In advanced wastewater treatment, carbon is used to adsorb organic compounds, and in industrial wastewater treatment, it is used to adsorb toxic organic compounds. It is usually used in the granular form in the carbon adsorption column application in water and wastewater purification, but it is also used in the powdered form in the powder-activated, carbon-activated sludge process for wastewater treatment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

    Yung-Tse Hung PhD, PE, DEE

  2. Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

    Howard H. Lo PhD

  3. Zorex Corporation, Newtonville, NY

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  4. Lenox Institute of Water Technology, Lenox, MA

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  5. Krofta Engineering Corporation, Lenox, MA

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  6. Hole Montes Inc., Naples, FL

    Jerry R. Taricska PhD, PE

  7. NEC Business Network Solutions, Irving, TX

    Kathleen Hung Li MS

Authors
  1. Yung-Tse Hung PhD, PE, DEE
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  2. Howard H. Lo PhD
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  3. Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE
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  4. Jerry R. Taricska PhD, PE
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  5. Kathleen Hung Li MS
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zorex Corporation, Newtonville, NY

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  2. Lenox Institute of Water Technology, Lenox, MA

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE  & Nazih K. Shammas PhD  & 

  3. Krofta Engineering Corporation, Lenox, MA

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

    Yung-Tse Hung PhD, PE, DEE

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Hung, YT., Lo, H.H., Wang, L.K., Taricska, J.R., Li, K.H. (2005). Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption. In: Wang, L.K., Hung, YT., Shammas, N.K. (eds) Physicochemical Treatment Processes. Handbook of Environmental Engineering, vol 3. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-820-x:573

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