What is Activated Charcoal?

The Process that Creates Charcoal
When wood is heated in extreme temperatures by fire, most of the volatile organic compounds burn off and small embers remain. This is the basic form of charcoal. Charcoal is carbon that has been de-oxygenated. What is activated charcoal, is a highly porous material that has been oxygenated by expanding millions of tiny pores between carbon atoms. It may be powdered or granulated in texture and is most often used in filtration processes where liquids or gases with contaminants exists in a process stream.

What is Activated Charcoal Used For?
In many industrial processes such as water treatment and wastewater treatment plants, contaminated water is filtered with Activated Charcoal adsorption systems. Activated carbons in charcoal make it ideal for water pollution control and for gas streams in industrial processes where contaminants are emitted. Activated charcoal has a long history for use in water treatment that is hundreds of years old. Activated charcoal attaches itself to contaminants in the adsorption process and traps them so that they are contained. In this way, water and gases return to a balanced chemical state that is non-hazardous to humans, animals and plant life. Many air pollution control systems employ activated charcoal filtration when the gas streams are small. Regular testing of water and air determines the volume of activated charcoal adsorption required to control contaminants.

What is Activated Charcoal Used For In the Home?
With the increase in Volatile Organic Compounds in certain locations due to groundwater and plume runoff, many households have installed Activated Charcoal filtration systems in their homes as a precautionary measure. However, most municipal water treatment facilities can provide water quality reports for consumers protection. These should be studied very carefully to insure that water quality is maintained. However, when groundwater or a contaminant plume occurs in a specific location, Activated Charcoal filtration systems may be installed by the local water treatment authority. Inground and above-ground swimming pools for homes and municipalities often use these Activated charcoal filters to maintain water pH balance.