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Click here see GAC datasheet |
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Granular
activated carbon is a highly adsorbent material used to
remove contamination from water.
Activated carbon has been
known as a miracle filter media by many researchers because of its unique
ability to remove offensive tastes, odors, color, chlorine and
volatile organic chemicals, pesticides and trihalomethanes (a group of
suspected carcinogens). Briefly, activated carbon acts like a
sponge, with a large surface area to absorb contaminants in the water.
The surface area of one pound of activated carbon is
equal to 125 acres.
Many scientists believe this is a result of an affinity that these chemicals
have for carbon because of Van Der Waal forces. Activated carbon is the
preferred treatment and method recommended by the EPA to remove a host of
potentially hazardous and possibly carcinogenic chemicals in drinking
water. A partial list of chemicals that are reduced or removed by
activated carbon are: |
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| The chart
shows partial contaminants regulated for public water systems
by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the maximum contaminant
levels, source, health effects and treatment options for each. |
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Organic |
MCL |
Source/Industrial occurrence |
Health effect |
Treatment |
|
Chlorobenzene |
0.1 |
Used as a solvent for
paint and metal manufacturing. Also used in insecticides. |
Affects nervous
system, kidneys and liver. |
Activated carbon |
|
CIS-1,2 Dichloroethylene |
0.07 |
Used as an industrial
solvent in the manufacturing of dyes, perfumes and
lacquers |
Affects liver, and a
nervous and circulatory systems. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
|
Dibromochloropropane |
0.0002 |
Soil fumigant on
soybeans, and cotton. Canceled in 1997. |
Cancer |
Activated carbon |
|
Dioxin |
0.00000003 |
Chemical production
by-product; impurity in herbicides. |
Affects lungs, liver
and kidney. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
|
Epichlorohydrin |
0 |
Used in epoxy resins and
coating, and in flocculants. |
Affects nervous
system, kidney and liver. |
Activated carbon |
|
Ethlbenzene |
0.7 |
Used in the manufacture of
gasoline, insecticides and asphalt |
Probable cause of cancer |
Activated carbon |
|
Ethylene Dibromide |
0.00005 |
Used as a gasoline additive
and soil fumigant. |
Affects nervous system,
kidneys and liver. |
Activated carbon |
|
Monochlorobenzene |
0.01 |
Used in manufacture of
pesticides and as a metal cleaner and industrial solvent. |
Cancer |
Activated carbon |
|
PAHs |
0.0002 |
Coal tar coating, burnings
organic matter, volcanoes, fossil fuels. |
Cancer |
Activated carbon |
|
Phthalate
(di(2-ethylhexyl))
|
0.006 |
PVC and other plastics. |
Affects skin and liver. Causes
nausea. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
|
Polychlorinated
Biophenyts (PCBs)
|
0.0005 |
Used in electrical
transformers. |
Affect nervous system, kidneys
and liver. |
Activated carbon |
|
Styrene |
0.01 |
Used in manufacturing plastic,
resins and foams. |
Affects nervous system.
Probable cause of cancer and anesthesia |
Activated carbon |
|
Tetrachloroethylene |
0.005 |
Used in dry cleaning and as a
degreasing agent for metals. Also used for manufacturing
rubber, waxes, paints and inks. |
Affects nervous system, liver
and kidneys. Causes narcosis. Irritant to respiratory system. |
Activated carbon |
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Toluene |
1 |
Used in gasoline, paint
thinners, lacquers and adhesives. |
Cancer |
Activated carbon, ozonation |
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Total Trihalomethanes |
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(THM's): |
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Chloroform |
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Bromoform |
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Bromodichloromethane |
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Dibromochloromethane |
| |
|
0.01 |
Formed when water containing
organic matter is treated with chlorine. |
ffects nervous system and
muscles. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon, aeration, ultra filtration (20-90%), RO
(20-90%) |
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1,1 Dichloroethylene |
0.007 |
Used in manufacturing dyes,
plastic, perfumes, paints and adhesives |
Affects kidneys and liver and
can cause nausea. |
Activated carbon |
|
1,1,2-Trichloroethane |
0.005 |
Solvent in rubber products,
chemical production waste. |
Kidney, liver, nervous system
damage |
Activated carbon, aeration |
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1,1,1-Trichloroethane |
0.02 |
Used in manufacturing of
pesticides, plastic and metals. |
Affects nervous system. Causes
narcosis and probably cancer. |
Activated carbon |
|
1,2 Dichlorobenzene |
0.6 |
Used in the manufacturing of
fumigants, insecticides, waxes, resins, rubber and asphalt |
Affects lungs, liver and
kidneys. |
Activated carbon |
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1,2 Dichloroethane |
0.005 |
Used in the manufacturing of
gasoline, paint, varnish, metal degreasers and insecticide
fumigants |
Damage kidney and liver can
cause nausea |
Activated carbon |
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1,2 Dichloropropane |
0.005 |
Used in insecticide fumigants,
dry cleaning fluids and in manufacturing of resins, waxes and
petroleum products |
Affects lungs, liver and
kidneys. |
Activated carbon |
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1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene |
0.07 |
Herbicide production; dye
carrier. |
Liver, kidney damage |
Activated carbon, aeration |
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1,4 Dichlorobenzene |
0.075 |
Used in moth repellent,
germicides, pesticides and soil fumigants. |
Affects nervous system, liver
and kidneys. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Acrytamide |
0 |
Flocculants used in sewage and
wastewater treatment. |
Affect nervous system,
probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
|
Adipates |
0.4 |
Synthetic rubber, food
packaging, cosmetics. |
Decreased body weight; liver
and testes damage. |
Activated carbon, aeration |
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Benzene |
0.005 |
Used in fuels and as a solvent
in manufacturing pharmaceuticals, plastics, pesticides and
paints. Often traced to leaking underground storage tanks. |
Leukemia, anemia and possibly
cancer |
Activated carbon |
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Trans-1,2
Dichloroethylene
|
0.1 |
Used as an industrial solvent
in the manufacturing of dyes, perfumes, lacquers and rubber. |
Affects liver, and nervous and
circulatory systems |
Activated carbon, ozonation with UV irradiation |
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Trichloroethylene |
0.1 |
Used in dry cleaning and as a
degreasing agent. Also used for manufacturing rubber, paints,
adhesives, resins, oils and fumigants. |
Irritates body tissue. Affects
nervous system. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Vinyl Chloride |
0.005 |
Used as a plastic adhesive and
refrigerant. The main component of PVC pipe |
Affects nervous system.
Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Xyienes |
0.002
|
Used in manufacturing paint,
ink, petroleum and detergents. |
Affects nervous system,
kidneys, lungs, liver and mucous membranes. |
Activated carbon
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Aldicarb |
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Aldicarb Sulfone |
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Aldicarb Sulfoxide |
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Carboturan |
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Agricultural insecticide |
Affects nervous system,
respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of
cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Chlordane |
0.04 |
Used on rodents, insects,
birds. Restricted since 1980. |
Affects nervous system,
respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of
cancer |
Activated carbon |
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Endrin |
0.0002 |
Agricultural insecticide. |
Liver, kidneys, heart damage. |
Activated carbon |
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Heptachlor |
0.0004 |
Agricultural insecticide.
Converts to expoxide by soil and water organisms |
Affects nervous system,
respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of
cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Heptachlor Expoxide |
0.0002 |
Pesticide production
by-product. |
Affects nervous system,
respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause of
cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Hexachlorobenzene |
0.001 |
Pesticide production
by-product. |
Cancer |
Activated carbon |
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Hexachlorocyclop -entadiene |
0.05 |
Agricultural
insecticide. |
Cancer |
Activated carbon, aeration |
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Lindane |
0.0002 |
Agricultural
insecticide. |
Affects nervous
system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause
of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Methoxychlor |
0.04 |
Insecticide used on
apples, potatoes, tomatoes. |
Affects nervous
system, respiratory system, kidneys and liver. Probable cause
of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Oxamyl |
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Agricultural
insecticide. |
Kidney damage. |
Activated carbon |
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2,4-D |
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2,4,5-TP
(silver) |
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Alachlor |
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Alrazine |
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Agricultural
herbicides |
Affect nervous and
reproductive system, respiratory system, kidneys, liver and
heart. Causes anesthesia. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Dalapon |
0.2 |
Herbicide used on
orchards, beans, coffee, lawn, roads and railway. |
Liver, kidney
damage. |
Activated carbon |
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Dinoseb |
0.007 |
Runoff of herbicide
from crop and non crop applications. |
Thyroid,
reproduction organ damage. |
Activated carbon |
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Diquat |
0.02 |
Runoff of herbicide
on land and aquatic weeds. |
Liver, kidneys, eye
effects. |
Activated carbon |
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Endothall |
0.01 |
Used on crops, land
and aquatic weeds. |
Liver, kidney and
gastrointestinal damage. |
Activated carbon |
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Glyphosphate |
0.7 |
Used on grass,
weeds, brush |
Liver, kidney damage |
Activated carbon |
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Pentachlorophenol |
0.001 |
Agricultural
herbicide and wood preservative. |
Affects nervous and
reproductive system, respiratory system, kidneys, liver and
heart. Causes anesthesia. Probable cause of cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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Picloram |
0.5 |
Used on broadleaf
and woody plants. |
Kidney, liver
damage. |
Activated carbon |
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Simazine |
0.004 |
Used on grass sod,
some crop, aquatic algae. |
Cancer. |
Activated carbon |
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| The
contaminants or other substances removed or reduced by this unit
are not necessarily in your water. |
Source: Water
Technology, Directory Issue / 1995 |
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